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AMERICAN  SCHOOL  OF  CLASSICAL  STUDIES  AT  ATHENS 

EXPLORATIONS    IN  THE 
ISLAND     OF     MOCHLOS 

BY 

RICHARD  B.  SEAGER 


BOSTON  AND  NEW  YORK 

PUBLISHED   BY  THE  AMERICAN  SCHOOL 

OF  CLASSICAL  STUDIES  AT  ATHENS 

1912 


Copyright,  1912,  bt 
the  trustees  of  the  american  school 

OF  CLASSICAL  STUDIES  AT  ATHENS 
ALL  RIGHTS  RESER\T:D 


PRINTED    AT    THE    BUMFORD    PRESS 
CONCORD  N.   H. 

COLOR     PLATES     BT     OATCHEL     AND 
MANNING  PHILADELPHIA 


'H3 


C^S' 


PREFATORY  NOTE 

This  book  is  a  report  of  the  excavations  at  Mochlos,  off  the  coast 
of  Crete,  which  I  conducted  in  the  spring  and  summer  of  1908.  The 
expense  of  the  work  was  borne  jointly  by  friends  of  the  Museum  of 
Fine  Arts  in  Boston,  by  the  American  School  of  Classical  Studies 
at  Athens,  which  obtained  the  concession  from  the  Cretan  authori- 
ties, and  by  myself.  The  objects  which  I  was  allowed  to  take  out 
of  Crete  are  in  the  Museum  at  Boston.  The  expense  of  this  publica- 
tion is  borne  by  the  School  at  Athens.  A  brief  report  on  the  work  in 
the  town  of  Mochlos  appeared  in  the  American  Journal  of  Archae- 
ology, Vol.  XIII,  1909,  pp.  273-303. 

I  wish  to  give  hearty  thanks  to  the  many  friends  who  have  helped 
me  in  various  ways.  Among  these  I  would  mention  especially  the 
two  Cretan  Ephors,  Doctor  Hatzidakis  and  Doctor  Xanthoudides, 
Mr.  B.  H.  Hill,  the  Director  of  the  School  at  Athens,  Mr.  Gar- 
diner M.  Lane,  the  President  of  the  Trustees  of  the  Museum,  Sir 
Arthur  Evans,  Miss  Edith  H.  Hall,  and  the  Committee  on  Publica- 
tions of  the  School  at  Athens,  Professor  G.  H.  Chase,  Professor  J.  R. 
Wheeler,  and  Professor  H.  N.  Fowler.  Miss  Hall  has  read  the 
manuscript  and  has  offered  many  valuable  suggestions.  The  mem- 
bers of  the  Committee  have  read  both  manuscript  and  proof  and 
have  aided  me  greatly  by  their  advice  and  counsel. 

Richard  B.  Seagek. 
October  7,  1911. 


796945 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Introduction .        1 

The  Early  Minoan  Period 

6 

The  Cemetery           .... 

13 

The  Northwest  Group  of  Tombs    . 

14 

The  Main  Slope   .... 

15 

The  Chamber  Tombs    . 

17 

Tomb  I          .          .         .         . 

18 

Tomb  II        .... 

22 

Tomb  III      .... 

37 

TombV         .... 

42 

Tomb  IV       .... 

44 

Tomb  VI       .... 

50 

The  Smaller  Tombs       . 

56 

Tomb  VII     .... 

56 

Tombs  VIII,  IX,  X 

57 

Tomb  XI      .... 

58 

Tomb  XII     .... 

61 

Tomb  XIII  .... 

63 

Tombs  XIV,  XV   . 

65 

Tomb  XVI    .... 

66 

Tomb  XVII 

68 

Tomb  XVIII 

69 

Tomb  XIX  .... 

70 

Tomb  XX     .... 

74 

Tomb  XXI   .... 

75 

Tomb  XXII 

78 

Tomb  XXIII 

79 

Other  Stone  Vases  from  the  Cemetery 

80 

Miscellaneous  Clay  Vases 

81 

Child  Burials  of  the  M.  M.  Ill  and  L.  M 

[.  I  Periods 

87 

A  Late  Minoan  I  Burial 

89 

The  Pottery  from  the  Cemetery 

92 

The  E.  M.  I  Period       . 

92 

The  E.  M.  II  Period     . 

96 

The  E.  M.  Ill  Period   . 

97 

The  M.  M.  I  Period      . 

98 

The  Stone  Vases       .... 

99 

The  Jewelry             .... 

104 

Objects  of  Copper  and  Bronze 

106 

Seal  Stones 

108 

EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 


INTRODUCTION 

In  the  history  of  archaeology  no  discoveries  have  raised  greater 
controversy  or  proved  more  fascinating  to  the  general  public  than 
those  of  Minoan  Crete.  When,  years  ago,  Schliemann  opened  the 
shaft  graves  at  Mycenae  many  scholars  refused  to  accept  them  as 
belonging  to  a  prehellenic  civilization.  They  found  it  hard  to 
believe  that  behind  the  art  of  classic  Greece  lay  centuries  of  civili- 
zation and  culture  reaching  back  into  the  dim  ages  contemporary 
with  the  earliest  dynasties  of  Egypt.  It  was  not  easy  to  convince 
the  enthusiastic  admirers  of  Hellenic  civilization  that  the  art  of 
Greece  was  no  sudden  and  unaided  flowering  of  a  half  barbarous  and 
obscure  race,  but  that  in  reality  it  had  felt  the  impulse  and  influence 
of  an  art  and  civilization  which  existed  centuries  before.  Yet  we 
now  know  that  such  was  the  case.  The  classic  Greek  was  the 
product  of  an  ancient  race  mixed  with  the  blood  of  wandering 
tribes  of  barbarians  who  for  a  time  had  blotted  out  the  results  of 
centuries  of  artistic  development.  Homer's  stories  of  Achaean 
splendor  were  no  idle  tales  but  had  a  foundation  of  solid  fact.  In 
his  day  the  old  order  was  a  thing  of  the  past,  but  legends  of 
former  magnificence  were  still  handed  down  from  father  to  son. 
The  various  artistic  masterpieces  possessed  by  the  Achaeans  were 
regarded  as  the  work  of  the  gods,  far  surpassing  anything  that 
could  be  made  by  human  hands  in  the  days  when  the  epos  was 
composed.     There  is  little  doubt  that  the  Achaeans  did  possess 

Note.  The  titles  of  books  and  periodicals  to  which  reference  is  frequently  made  are  abbrevi- 
ated as  follows: 

A.  J.  A.  —  American  Journal  of  Archaeology,  Second  Series,  1897-  . 

Anth.  Publ.  =  Anthropological  Publications,  the  Museum,  University  of  Pennsylvania,  190&-  . 

B.  S.  A.  =  Annual  of  the  British  School  at  Athens,  1899-  . 

Dawn  Med.  Civ.  =  Dawn  of  the  Mediterranean  Civilization  by  Angelo  Mosso,  London, 
1910. 

'Ey.  ' Al>X-  —    Etp-qn^pi^  ' A pxoiioXoj'txij ,  1837-  . 

Goumia.   =  Goumia,  Vasiliki  and  other  Prehistoric  Sites  on  the  Isthmus  of  Hierapetra,  Crete, 

by  Harriet  Boyd  Hawes,  Philadelphia,  1908. 
J.  tf.  S.  =  Journal  of  Hellenic  Studies,  1880-  . 
A/on.  Ant.  =  Monument!  Antichi  pubblicati  per  cura  della  Reale  Accademia  dei  Lincei. 

1889-  . 
Phylakopi.  =  Excavations  at  Phylakopi  in  Melos,  published  by  the  Society  for  the  Promotion 

of  Hellenic  Studies,  London,  1904. 
Trant.  =  Transactions,  Department  of  Archaeology,  University  of  Pennsylvania,  1904-  . 
2  1 


2  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

such  objects,  but  it  is  probable  that  they  were  really  the  spoil  of 
the  many  Minoan  towns  and  palaces  which  had  fallen  at  the 
hands  of  the  invaders.  The  Minoan  civilization  was  finally 
destroyed  about  1200  b.c.  by  rude  tribes  who  entered  Greece 
from  the  north  and,  sweeping  down  into  the  Peloponnesus, 
spread  themselves  through  the  islands  of  the  Aegean.  A  period 
of  great  unrest  seems  to  have  existed  in  Crete  for  200  to  250 
years  before  the  final  extinction  of  the  Minoan  civilization,  and 
the  first  signs  that  the  Minoan  power  was  tottering  to  its  fall  were 
apparent  as  early  as  the  end  of  the  Late  Minoan  II  period.  The 
identity  of  the  people  who  first  weakened  the  foundations  of  this 
long-established  civilization  is  not  clear.  It  is  more  than  likely  that 
Homer's  Achaeans  were  among  those  who  plundered  the  rich  towns 
and  palaces  of  Crete,  but  whether  these  Achaeans  were  a  mainland 
branch  of  the  Minoan  race  or  one  of  the  invading  tribes  from  the 
north  is  still  a  much  disputed  point.  Following  closely  on  the  heels 
of  the  first  invaders  of  the  Minoan  kingdom  came  other  warlike  tribes 
among  whom  must  be  included  the  iron-using  Dorians,  and  for  some 
two  or  three  centuries  the  Aegean  appears  to  have  been  the  scene  of 
constant  invasions  and  migrations,  the  battle  ground  of  a  series  of 
robber  princes.  During  this  period  of  chaotic  darkness  the  old 
civilization  was  swept  away.  Minoan  Crete  became  a  thing  of 
the  past  and  the  remnant  of  its  many  inhabitants  led  a  hand-to- 
mouth  existence  in  mountain  fastnesses  well  out  of  the  reach  of 
roving  bands  of  pirates.  The  splendor  of  Mycenae  also  vanished, 
but  traditions  of  former  greatness  still  persisted  wherever  the 
old  stock  survived  the  constant  streams  of  barbarous  conquerors. 
When  the  influx  of  northmen  stopped  and  the  Aegean  had  ceased 
to  be  the  battle  ground  of  nations,  we  find  the  new  intruders  settling 
themseh'es  side  by  side  with  the  remnants  of  the  ancient  population 
now  scattered  broadcast  through  the  lands  known  to  us  as  Hellenic. 
Whenever  a  race  of  northern  origin  settled  in  the  Mediterranean 
it  very  soon  lost  many  of  its  own  characteristics  through  intermar- 
riage with  the  previous  owners  of  the  soil,  as  was  the  case,  for  exam- 
ple, with  the  Greek  Ptolemies  in  Egypt  many  centuries  later.  It 
may  be  that  a  similar  fate  overtook  the  northern  invaders  of  the 
Aegean.  If  we  assume  that  such  was  the  case  it  is  easy  to  see  how, 
once  the  newcomers  began  to  lose  their  own  characteristics,  the 
inherent  artistic  spirit  of  the  conquered  Minoans  revived  in  the 
mixed  race,  driving  it  into  that  amazingly  rapid  development 
which  seemed  so  inexplicable  before  the  spade  lent  its  aid  to  the 
historian.     This  renaissance  may  be  said  to  have  begun  with  the 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  S 

composing  of  the  Homeric  poems  and  probably  started  in  parts  of 
the  Aegean  where  the  ancient  Minoan  stock  had  been  least  affected 
by  the  new  influx  of  foreign  blood.  We  know  that  one  of  the  prin- 
cipal migrations  from  Crete  was  towards  the  coast  of  Asia  Minor,' 
and  it  is  perhaps  more  than  a  coincidence  that  one  finds  in  Asia 
Minor  both  the  traditional  birth-place  of  the  Homeric  legends  and 
the  first  impulses  of  artistic  regeneration. 

In  Crete  excavations  have  uncovered  the  remains  of  a  mighty 
civilization  whose  towns  and  palaces  not  only  covered  the  entire 
island  but  spread  themselves  far  and  wide  through  the  Aegean,  even 
reaching  to  the  western  Mediterranean  and  the  northern  end  of 
the  Adriatic.  These  discoveries  in  Crete  were  begun  in  1900  by 
the  representatives  of  four  nations,  England,  Italy,  the  United 
States  and  France.  For  the  first  few  years  the  excavators  them- 
selves were  as  much  amazed  as  the  rest  of  the  world  by  the  objects 
revealed  on  the  various  sites.  Huge  palaces  came  to  light  at  Knossos 
and  Phaistos,  while  in  the  eastern  part  of  Crete  several  small  but 
prosperous  towns  were  uncovered  which  showed  that  the  artistic 
standard  set  by  the  palace  sites  was  maintained  in  the  lesser  settle- 
ments. The  first  question  which  arose  was  what  name  should  be 
given  to  this  civilization  and  to  the  race  who  produced  it.  Many 
suggestions  were  made,  but  by  tacit  consent  it  was  left  for  Dr.  Arthur 
J.  Evans  as  the  doyen  of  Cretan  excavators  to  settle  the  question. 
Dr.  Evans  was  one  of  the  first  to  realize  the  probable  result  of 
excavations  in  Crete  as,  some  years  before,  he  had  discovered  that 
a  prehistoric  system  of  writing  had  been  in  use  among  the  early  inhab- 
itants of  the  island.  After  some  consideration  he  decided  that  it 
would  be  reasonable  to  choose  for  this  civilization  the  name  with 
which  Crete  was  most  closely  connected  in  early  history  and  legend. 
Regarding  Minos  as  a  royal  title,  rather  than  the  name  of  an  indi- 
vidual, he  suggested  that  this  new  civilization  should  be  called 
Minoan.  It  appeared  quite  possible  that  more  than  one  ruler  bore 
the  name  of  Minos  and  that  the  appellation  was  dynastic  like  that 
of  Ptolemy  in  later  Egypt.  Although  this  nomenclature  met  with 
a  good  deal  of  opposition  at  the  time  it  was  proposed,  it  has  been 
accepted  by  the  various  Cretan  excavators  and  will  be  adhered  to 
in  the  following  account  of  the  Early  Minoan  cemetery  of  Mochlos. 

Dr.  Evans  on  the  cumulative  evidence  afforded  by  the  various 
Cretan  sites  has  drawn  up  a  chronological  scheme  of  the  different 
periods  represented  in  the  development  of  the  Minoan  culture. 
The  entire  space  of  time,  about  1500  years,  occupied  by  the  Minoan 

■  Herodotus  I,  173. 


4  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

civilization  from  its  beginnings  at  the  end  of  the  neolithic  period 
to  its  extinction  in  the  13th  century  B.C.  is  divided  into  three  main 
divisions,  the  Early,  the  Middle  and  the  Late  Minoan.  In  the 
long  space  of  time  covered  by  these  three  divisions,  Minoan  culture 
passed  through  many  distinct  stages  of  development,  so  that,  for 
the  sake  of  convenience,  the  three  main  periods  have  been  further 
subdivided  each  into  three  parts.  Thus  we  have  Early  Minoan  I,  II, 
III,  Middle  Minoan  I,  II,  III,  and  Late  Minoan  I,  II,  III,  which 
are  usually  abbreviated  as  E.  M.  I,  M.  M.  II,  L.  M.  Ill,  and  so  on. 
Each  of  these  subdivisions  is  marked  by  the  introduction  of  a  new 
style  of  pottery  or  a  distinct  change  in  the  style  then  in  use.  Luck- 
ily all  the  minor  Cretan  sites  followed  the  fashions  of  the  capital 
cities  more  or  less  closely.  Therefore  when  we  find  a  new  style 
of  decoration  introduced  at  Knossos  we  are  sure  to  find  that  it 
was  adopted  more  or  less  simultaneously  throughout  the  entire 
island. 

To  base  chronological  sequences  upon  the  evidence  of  painted 
clay  pots  may  at  first  sight  seem  an  uncertain  method,  but  in  Crete 
these  same  pots,  from  a  chronological  point  of  view,  are  the  most 
important  of  all  finds  and  afford  a  sure  method  of  dating  the  objects 
found  with  them.  Most  of  the  vessels  used  in  Minoan  dwellings 
were  of  clay  and  of  these  a  great  number  are  painted. 

In  the  1500  years  covered  by  this  culture,  the  Minoans  changed 
both  the  shape  and  the  decorative  designs  of  these  clay  pots  very 
frequently,  and  by  careful  observation  of  the  stratification  on  many 
Minoan  sites,  these  changes  can  be  placed  in  chronological  sequence. 
Necessarily,  if  a  certain  type  of  potsherd  is  always  found  to  underlie 
the  sherds  of  another  given  type  on  several  sites,  the  only  conclusion 
possible  is  that  the  type  which  lies  the  lower  must  be  the  earlier  in 
date.  Evidence  of  this  sort  from  one  site  only  might  be  open  to 
doubt,  since  through  the  convulsions  of  nature  and  the  hand  of  man 
strata  sometimes  become  very  much  confused.  When,  however, 
this  evidence  is  confirmed  by  any  number  of  sites  in  different  parts 
of  the  country  it  must  be  accepted  as  conclusive.  With  a  little 
practice  therefore  the  Cretan  excavator  is  enabled  to  date  a  vase 
with  great  accuracy  either  by  its  decoration  or,  if  it  is  unpainted, 
by  its  shape,  although  this  last  is  a  less  certain  test.  As  a  rule, 
the  changes  in  the  decoration  of  Minoan  pottery  are  clearly  marked, 
and  it  is  almost  impossible  for  one  who  has  handled  some  hundreds 
of  sherds  to  confuse,  say,  a  Middle  Minoan  fragment  with  one  of 
Late  Minoan  date.  No  one  site  offers  clear  stratification  for  all 
nine  of  the  Minoan  periods,  but  on  some  the  Early  Minoan  level 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  5 

is  especially  well  defined  and  on  others  the  Middle  or  Late  Minoan, 
so  that  by  putting  together  the  evidence  of  the  various  Cretan 
excavations  we  get  a  sure  basis  for  our  conclusions. 

When  the  assertion  is  made  that  it  is  possible  to  date  Cretan 
objects  it  must  be  understood  that  the  dates  are  only  relatively 
correct  and  are  attained  by  a  round-about  method  of  reasoning. 
It  happens  that  the  Minoans  in  certain  stages  of  their  develop- 
ment were  in  close  communication  with  Egypt,  and  fortunately 
one  can  fix  the  dates  of  the  majority  of  the  Egyptian  dynasties 
with  a  fair  degree  of  certainty. 

The  earliest  signs  of  possible  Egyptian  influence  in  Crete  are  dis- 
played on  certain  ivory  seals  which  occur  in  Early  Minoan  deposits. 
These  bear  striking  analogies  to  the  "button"  seals  of  the  Vlth 
Dynasty  in  Egypt,  which  dates  roughly  from  2540  to  2360  B.C. 
according  to  Professor  Eduard  Meyer's  system.  This  evidence  is 
so  slight  that  it  cannot  be  accepted  as  absolutely  fixing  the  date  of 
the  Early  Minoan  period  although  this  date  is  the  one  which  best 
agrees  with  the  data  furnished  by  the  Cretan  excavations.  As  we 
shall  see  in  the  following  pages,  the  stone  vases  from  Mochlos 
furnish  additional  and  more  convincing  proof  that  the  E.  M. 
period  is  synchronous  with  the  Vlth  Dynasty.  Better  evidence 
is  forthcoming  regarding  the  Middle  Minoan  period  when  Egypt 
again  furnishes  material  for  more  certain  dating  than  in  the 
preceding  case.  In  1907  Professor  Garstang  discovered  an  undis- 
turbed Xllth  Dynasty  burial  at  Abydos  which  contained  a  vase 
of  the  so-called  "Kamares"  ware,  a  fabric  peculiar  to  the  M. 
M.  period.  With  this  vase  were  found  purely  Egyptian  objects 
including  steatite  cylinders  bearing  the  names  of  Sesostris  (Senu- 
sert)  III  and  Amenemhat  III.'  Similar  evidence  had  already 
tended  to  show  that  the  Xllth  Dynasty  was  contemporary  with 
the  M.  M.  II  period  and  this  discovery  removed  all  further  doubt. 
The  only  question  is  the  exact  date  of  the  Xllth  Dynasty,  over 
which  there  is  a  good  deal  of  disagreement  among  egyptologists. 
At  present  the  latest  evidence  points  to  a  date  about  2160  b.c.  as 
most  probable.     This  date  also  agrees  best  with  Minoan  chronology. 

An  inscribed  alabastron  lid  of  King  Khyan  found  at  Knossos 
would  again  connect  Crete  with  Egypt  during  that  confused  period 
which  lay  between  the  Xllth  and  the  XVIIIth  Dynasties.  Unfor- 
tunately we  are  unable  to  assign  a  date  to  this  king  who  appears  to 
have  been  one  of  the  Hyksos  conquerors  of  Egypt.  The  alabastron 
lid  was  found  in  a  deposit  which  marked  the  dividing  line  between 

>  A.  J.  Evans,  Ashmolcan  Museum  Report,  1907. 


6  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

the  M.  M.  Ill  and  L.  M.  I  periods  at  Knossos;  to  this  Dr.  Evans 
would  assign  the  date  of  about  1600  B.C.* 

Again  in  the  XMIIth  Dynasty  under  Thothmes  III  we  find 
Crete  figuring  largely  on  Egyptian  monuments,  and  the  "Keftiu" 
or  Minoans  appear  in  more  than  one  wall  painting,  notably  those 
in  the  tombs  of  Rekhmara  and  Senmut  at  Thebes.  We  know  from 
various  bits  of  evidence  that'  the  XVIIIth  Dynasty  was  contem- 
porarj'  with  the  L.  M.  II  period  in  Crete,  and  as  Egyptian  chronol- 
ogy is  fairly  certain  for  that  dynasty,  we  get  a  date  of  1450  B.C.  for 
this  second  part  of  the  Late  Minoan  epoch. 

Of  still  later  date  are  the  quantities  of  L.  M.  Ill  pottery  yielded 
by  the  excavations  at  Tell-el-Amarna,  the  capital  of  the  heretic 
king,  Aklienaten.  We  know  that  this  sort  of  ware  never  appears  at 
Knossos  until  after  the  destruction  of  the  second  palace.  If  we 
accept  Professor  Meyer's  date  of  1380  B.C.  for  the  accession  of  Akhen- 
aten  we  must  place  the  overthrow  of  Knossian  power  at  a  slightly 
earlier  date,  which  would  be  according  to  Dr.  Evans  soon  after 
the  middle  of  the  fifteenth  century  B.C. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  without  the  assistance  of  Egypt  it  would 
have  been  very  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  assign  any  dates  to  the 
various  phases  of  Minoan  culture.  Even  now  the  dates  of  the 
Early  Minoan  period  are  rather  uncertain,  and  as  regards  the  long 
neolithic  culture  which  preceded  it  we  are  as  much  at  sea  as  ever. 

The  Early  Minoan  Period 

When  Dr.  Evans'  scheme  of  Minoan  chronology  was  pub- 
lished in  1904,  our  knowledge  of  the  first  of  its  three  main  divi- 
sions, the  Early  Minoan,  was  still  more  or  leSs  vague.  At  Knossos 
almost  all  traces  of  the  E.  M.  I,  II  and  III  periods  disappeared 
when  the  summit  of  the  hill  was  cut  away  at  the  beginning  of  the  M. 
M.  epoch  to  form  the  level  space  necessary  for  the  construction  of  the 
first  palace.  The  pottery  which  lay  between  the  floor  levels  of  this  M. 
M.  I  palace  and  the  underlying  neolithic  deposit  seemed  to  fall  into 
three  main  classes.  Wherever  stratification  could  be  clearly  observed 
these  three  classes  were  found  to  succeed  one  another  always  in  the 
same  order.  It  is  true  that  these  remains  were  of  very  fragmentary 
character,  but  enough  was  found  to  enable  the  excavators  to  draw 
up  a  rough  table  of  the  various  styles  of  pottery  and  their  rela- 
tions to  one  another  in  point  of  age. 

No  well-defined  floor  levels  of  the  Early  Minoan  period  were 
found  at  Knossos  until  1906.     In  the  meantime  evidence  had  been 

'  Scripta  Minoa,  Vol.  I.  pp.  30-31. 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  7 

accumulating  in  other  parts  of  the  island,  and  the  Knossian  floor 
levels  merely  confirmed  the  evidence  of  Vasiliki  and  other  East 
Cretan  sites  without  throwing  any  very  new  light  upon  this  early 
culture.  It  is  to  these  East  Cretan  sites  that  one  must  turn  for  a 
better  knowledge  of  the  Early  Minoan  epoch.  Unlike  the  palaces 
of  Knossos  and  Phaistos,  these  small  towns  have  yielded  great 
masses  of  Early  Minoan  objects,  thus  filling  a  wide  gap  in  our 
knowledge  of  the  development  of  Minoan  culture. 

Of  E.  M.  I  pottery  we  still  know  very  little.  It  seems  to  have 
formed  a  connecting  link  between  the  late  neolithic  ware  of  Knossos 
and  the  succeeding  incised  sub-neolithic  and  mottled  vases  of  the 
E.  M.  II  period.  No  site  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Isthmus  of 
Hierapetra  had  produced  a  well-defined  E.  M.  I  deposit  until,  in 
1908,  a  certain  quantity  of  this  ware  was  found  in  the  early  cemetery 
of  Mochlos.  The  examples  from  this  deposit  show  little  skill  on 
the  part  of  the  E.  M.  I  potters.  They  are  inferior  both  to  the  pre- 
ceding neolitliic  vases  and  to  the  mottled  ware  of  the  succeeding 
period,  although  in  shape  they  show  a  close  connection  with  both. 
In  these  E.  M.  I  sherds  from  Mochlos  the  dark  clays  of  the  neolithic 
period  predominate,  but  on  no  fragments  do  we  find  incised  designs 
nor  do  they  possess  the  highly  polished  surface  of  the  true  neolithic 
ware.  Great  numbers  of  clay  spoons  or  ladles  were  found;  also 
many  examples  of  the  goblet  type  of  cup  (see  Fig.  23,  No.  VI,  11) 
which  is  characteristic  of  the  E.  M.  I  period  at  Knossos,  but  which 
in  Eastern  Crete  lives  on  through  the  E.  M.  II  epoch. 

A  few  fragments  of  jugs  show  that  this  shape  must  have  made  its 
first  appearance  toward  the  close  of  the  E.  M.  I  period.  In  these 
the  handle  has  always  been  attached  by  forcing  it  through  the  wall 
of  the  vase  while  the  clay  was  still  moist,  a  method  noted  at  Phyla- 
kopi'  and  at  Palaikastro.'  As  a  whole  this  E.  M.  I  ware  is  charac- 
terized by  rough  hand-made  vases  of  grey,  black,  and  red  clay  of 
coarse,  gritty  quality.  The  vases  often  have  round,  or  nearly  round, 
bottoms  after  the  manner  of  gourds,  from  which  they  were  doubtless 
copied,  and  are  usually  furnished  with  ridge  handles  pierced  for 
suspension  {i.e.,  solid  ridges  of  clay  set  horizontally  on  the  body  of 
the  vase).  At  Mochlos  only  one  painted  sherd  was  found  in  the 
deposit  mentioned  above,  and,  as  it  is  of  the  geometrical  E.  M.  II 
style,  it  probably  dates  from  the  very  end  of  the  E.  M.  I  period,  or 
else  it  may  have  worked  its  way  down  from  an  upper  level. 

E.  M.  I  vases  have  been  found  on  several  other  sites.  The 
curious  deposit  from  Hagios  Nikolaos  near  Palaikastro  belongs 

I  Phylakopi.  p.  94.  •  B.  S.  A..  Vol.  X,  p.  200. 


8  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

to  this  period,'  as  do  certain  vases  from  rock  shelter  burials  at 
Zakro,'  Hagia  Pliotia  and  Gournia.'  In  the  Messara,  examples 
have  occurred  in  the  early  domed  tombs  (tholoi)  discovered  by  Dr. 
Xanthoudides,  and  by  the  Italians  at  Phaistos  and  Hagia  Triada, 
though  in  no  case  in  suflBcient  quantity  to  furnish  us  with  much 
material  upon  which  to  work. 

The  first  important  discovery  of  E.  M.  II  pottery  was  made  in 
1904  at  Vasiliki,^  where  a  well  preserved  settlement  of  the  E.  M.  II 
and  E.  M.  Ill  periods  came  to  light.  The  stratification  was 
clearly  marked  and  showed  that  the  E.  M.  II  period  passed 
through  two  stages  of  development.  The  first  was  characterized 
by  sub-neolithic  incised  vases  of  fine  grey  clay  and  by  a  painted 
ware  bearing  geometrical  dark  designs  on  a  hand-polished  buff 
ground.  This  latter  style,  after  suffering  a  complete  eclipse  in  the 
E.  M.  Ill  period,  was  revived  in  the  M.  M.  I  epoch  and  so  closely 
copied  that  it  is,  at  times,  very  hard  to  tell  to  which  period  vases  of 
this  sort  belong.  The  best  means  of  classifying  them  is  by  their 
shapes,  which  in  the  M.  M.  I  examples  had  been  considerably  modi- 
fied and  no  longer  presented  the  extreme  forms  popular  in  E.  M.  II 
wares. 

Shortly  after  the  beginning  of  the  E.  M.  II  period,  a  third  style  of 
pottery  made  its  appearance.  This  new  ware  was  covered  with  a 
hard  paint  of  good  quality  which,  owing  to  a  curious  method  of 
firing,  has  assumed  a  most  brilliant  mottled  surface  shading  from 
red  and  orange  to  black.'  In  shape  these  new  vases  were  far  in 
advance  of  the  vases  of  the  two  earlier  fabrics  with  which  they  were 
associated.  This  ware,  made  of  fine-grained,  buff  clay,  is  chiefly 
characterized  by  tall  beaked  jugs  and  bowls  with  long  side  spouts 
which  give  the  vessels  an  absurdly  bird-like  appearance.  Although 
no  vases  are  properly  wheel-made  before  the  M.  M.  I  period,  certain 
concentric  striations  noticeable  on  the  insides  of  these  mottled  vessels 
show  that  they  were  turned  while  still  soft  on  some  sort  of  primitive 
appliance  probably  worked  by  hand.  Though  few  in  number  at 
the  beginning  of  the  E.  M.  II  period,  the  mottled  vases,  shortly 
after  their  first  appearance,  entirely  superseded  the  incised  and 
dark-on-light  geometric  wares,  and  in  the  latter  part  of  the  period 
we  find  them  used  to  the  entire  exclusion  of  the  two  earlier 
fabrics. 

>  B.  S.  A.,  Vol.  IX,  p.  339.  •  B.  S.  A.,  Vol.  VII.  p.  144. 

« Goumia,  p.  56,  Figs.  37,  38. 

«  Trans.,  Vol.  I,  Part  III.  p.  207;  Goumia,  p.  49.  Plates  XII  and  B. 
•  Goumia,  PI.  B. 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  9 

At  Knossos,  as  has  been  said,  some  floor  levels  found  in  1908 
contained  undisturbed  deposits  of  this  period,  but  by  far  the  best 
examples  come  from  a  large  house  at  Vasiliki.  This  house,  which 
dates  from  the  latter  part  of  the  E.  M.  II  period,  contained  only 
vases  of  the  mottled  technique.  Later  it  was  found  to  overlie  a 
still  earlier  building  which  contained  examples  of  all  the  three  classes 
which  are  assigned  to  the  E.  M.  II  period.  In  the  Messara,  at 
Koumasa  and  Porti,  Dr.  Xanthoudides  found  vessels  of  similar 
type.  They  were  also  found  at  Palaikastro.'  The  E.  M.  II  vases 
from  these  sites,  although  identical  in  shape  with  those  from  Vasiliki, 
are  usually  of  dull  red  clay  and  lack  the  brilliant  mottled  surface 
of  the  vases  found  on  the  Isthmus  of  Hierapetra.  It  would  thus 
appear  either  that  the  potters  of  Vasiliki  used  a  clay  of  better 
quality,  or  that  their  methods  of  painting  and  firing  differed  from 
those  of  their  contemporaries  in  other  parts  of  the  island. 

Just  at  the  end  of  the  E.  M.  II  period  a  new  ware  made  its  appear- 
ance. Though  reproducing  all  the  shapes  of  that  period,  it  orig- 
inated a  new  technique  in  which  a  geometrical  design  was  applied 
in  yellowish  white  on  a  ground  of  dark  glaze-paint.  The  old  mottled 
fabrics  of  the  E.  M.  II  period  did  not  yield  immediately  to  this  new 
style,  which  is  known  as  E.  M.  III.  At  first  the  two  wares  existed 
side  by  side,  but  gradually,  as  the  new  technique  gained  ground, 
the  mottled  vases  decreased  in  number  and  at  length  completely 
disappeared. 

That  the  E.  M.  Ill  period  was  of  long  duration  seems  clear. 
In  its  earlier  stages  we  find  the  mottled  and  new  light-on-dark  geo- 
metric wares  existing  side  by  side,  with  the  same  forms  common 
to  both.  As  the  mottled  vases  disappear,  the  extreme  shapes  of 
the  previous  period  undergo  considerable  modification;  the  necks 
of  the  jugs  grow  shorter,  the  long  side  spouts  shrink  to  half  their 
former  size,  and  by  the  time  polychromy  makes  its  appearance 
it  is  hard  to  determine  from  shape  alone  whether  the  vases  should 
be  classed  as  belonging  to  the  E.  M.  Ill  or  the  M.  M.  I  period. 
Another  reason  for  allowing  a  long  duration  to  this  period  is  the 
enormous  quantity  of  the  light-on-dark  geometric  ware  that  is  found 
on  early  sites  on  and  near  the  Isthmus  of  Hierapetra.  The  first 
large  deposit  was  found  in  1904  at  Gournia,  where  a  great  heap 
of  these  sherds  had  been  piled  up  just  outside  the  town  limits.* 
This  heap  was  composed  of  thousands  of  fragments  of  the  light-on- 
dark  geometric  ware  and  must  represent  accumulations  of  a  long 
term  of  years. 

•B.  S.  A.,  Vol.  X,  p.  197,  Fig.  1.         •  Gournia.  p.  57;  Tram..  Vol.  I,  Part  III.  p.  191. 


10  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

At  Palaikastro  E.  M.  Ill  vases  were  found  in  1903  stratified 
above  the  E.  M.  II  wares.'  Gournia,  where  stratification  could  be 
observed,  furnished  similar  data.  Thus  the  chronological  sequence 
of  the  mottled  and  the  light-on-dark  geometric  styles  was  fixed 
even  without  the  evidence  of  Vasiliki,  where  the  stratification 
was  best  defined.  There  in  1906  a  number  of  mottled  sherds  were 
found  lying  at  the  bottom  of  a  deep  pit,  probably  an  unfinished 
well,  the  rest  of  which  was  filled  with  great  masses  of  E.  M.  Ill  vases.' 
At  Zakro  and  at  Hagia  Photia,  E.  M.  Ill  vases  occurred  in  the  rock 
shelter  burials  already  mentioned  on  p.  8.  At  Koumasa  and  Porti 
in  the  Messara  several  large  tholoi  of  the  Early  and  Middle  IVIinoan 
periods  have  been  cleared.  These  great  burial  chambers,  which 
evidently  served  as  town  charnel  houses,  confirmed  the  evidence 
of  Eastern  Crete  on  all  the  main  points.  Certain  minor  differences 
due  to  local  varieties  of  form  and  decoration  were  observed;  each 
small  settlement  had  its  own  methods  of  vase  making  and  the  clays 
used  differed  widely  in  various  parts  of  the  island. 

At  Hagia  Triada  the  Italian  Expedition  also  cleared  a  similar 
tholos  of  large  size  which  yielded  many  small  vases  and  objects 
mixed  with  the  remains  of  hundreds  of  bodies.'  These  tholoi  of 
the  Messara,  since  they  remained  in  use  until  some  time  in  the  M.  M. 
I  period,  do  not  furnish  such  good  evidence  for  the  classification  of 
objects  as  do  well  stratified  town  sites  or  even  the  small  graves  of 
Eastern  Crete,  where  a  tomb  and  the  objects  it  contains  often 
belong  to  one  period,  if  not  to  a  single  interment. 

Curiously  enough  no  tholos  of  the  Messara  type  has  been  found 
in  Eastern  Crete,  nor  do  the  cist  graves  and  chamber  tombs  of  East- 
ern Crete  appear  in  the  ^lessara.  There  is  no  reason  to  suppose 
that  this  indicates  any  difference  in  race  between  the  inhabitants  of 
the  two  parts  of  the  island,  as  the  objects  associated  with  both 
types  of  burial  can  belong  only  to  one  race  and  culture,  so  similar 
are  they  in  all  their  main  aspects.  The  tholos  never  appears  in 
Eastern  Crete  until  the  L.  M.  Ill  period  and  then  must  be  regarded 
as  a  type  borrowed  from  the  Greek  mainland  rather  than  the  sur- 
vival of  the  early  tholoi  of  the  Messara. 

Although  the  Early  ^L'noan  deposits  at  Vasiliki,  Gournia  and 
Palaikastro  were  remarkably  rich  in  pottery,  they  gave  but  little 
idea  of  this  early  culture  as  a  whole.  Here  the  gap  was  partially 
filled  by  the  Messara  tholoi,  which  yielded  examples  of  weapons, 
stone  vases  and  seals.     The  weapons  were  for  the  most  part  short 

>  B.  S.  A.,  Vol.  XI,  p.  271.  Fig.  5.  «  Trans..  Vol.  II,  Part  II,  p.  118. 

•  Hon.  Ant..  Vol.  XIV,  p.  678. 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCELOS  11 

triangular  daggers,  although  at  the  beginning  of  the  M.  M.  I  period 
a  more  slender  form  appeared.  The  seals  were  of  ivory  and  pre- 
sented many  striking  analogies  with  Egyptian  seals  of  the  early 
dynasties,  especially  with  those  of  the  Vlth.  Marble  idols  of  the 
Cycladic  type  proved  that  these  burials  were  contemporary  with 
the  discoveries  at  Syra,  Amorgos  and  other  islands  of  the  Cjclades.' 

At  Vasiliki  in  1906,  in  a  rock-cut  well,  some  fragments  of  thin  bowls 
of  colored  marbles  and  limestone  were  found  with  E.  M.  Ill  objects.^ 
In  workmanship  they  were  so  far  in  advance  of  all  that  was  known  of 
the  E.  M.  period  that  it  seemed  hardly  possible  to  accept  them  as 
belonging  to  it.  In  reality  they  were  the  first  examples  of  E.  M. 
stone  cutting,  such  splendid  specimens  of  which  were  to  be  discov- 
ered two  years  later.  In  1907  an  early  cemetery  was  found  on  the 
island  of  Pseira;  its  graves  contained  numbers  of  vases  of  clay  and 
stone  and  showed  that  many  shapes  of  the  black  steatite  vases 
common  in  the  L.  M.  I  period  could  be  traced  back  to  M.  M.  I  orig- 
inals and,  in  some  cases,  to  even  earlier  types.  The  graves  and 
their  contents  indicated  a  people  of  poor  condition  possessing  but 
few  objects  of  metal  or  of  jewelry  apart  from  stone  beads.  All  this 
fitted  in  with  the  data  furnished  by  the  primitive-looking  pottery, 
for  the  stone  vases,  with  one  or  two  exceptions,  were  of  soft  materials 
and  poor  workmanship.  On  the  other  hand,  the  enormous  number 
of  stone  vases  unearthed  pointed  to  a  period  in  which  they  were 
highly  prized  and  extensively  manufactured.  At  Koumasa  and 
Porti  many  stone  vases  occurred,  but  like  those  of  Pseira  they  were, 
for  the  most  part,  of  small  size,  poor  workmanship  and  soft  materials. 

It  was  reserved  for  the  cemetery  of  Mochlos  to  throw  a  new  light 
on  the  civilization  of  the  Early  Minoan  periods.  This  cemetery  of 
twenty-three  well  preserved  graves  produced,  in  1908,  a  great  mass  of 
pottery,  weapons,  jewelry  and  stone  vases,  the  workmanship  of 
which  was  extremely  delicate  and  entirely  unexpected.  We  can  now 
judge  the  E.  M.  II  and  E.  M.  Ill  periods  by  the  arts  of  stone  cutting 
and  metal  working,  as  well  as  bj'^  the  ceramic  art,  which  is  less 
advanced  than  the  condition  of  the  other  two  would  lead  one  to 
expect.  These  two  periods  must,  therefore,  be  accepted  as  the  age 
of  stone  vases  far  excellence,  just  as  the  Middle  Minoan  period  was 
characterized  by  polychromy  in  the  domain  of  painted  pottery.  In 
view  of  these  discoveries  the  word  primitive,  in  its  true  sense,  can 
hardly  be  used  to  describe  the  E.  M.  II  and  E.  M.  Ill  periods,  although 
it  still  applies  to  the  E.  M.  I  epoch.  Between  the  end  of  the  latter 
and  the  beginning  of  the  E.  M.  II  age  the  advance  in  all  branches  of 

•■£<p.  'Apx;  1898-99,  Plates  10,  11.  •  Tram.,  Vol.  II,  Part  II,  p.  1<3. 


12  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

art  except  that  of  the  potter  must  have  been  astonishingly  rapid,  and 
this  may  indicate  that  Crete  for  the  first  time  had  been  brought  into 
contact  with  the  older  civilization  of  Egypt,  a  possibility  which  will 
be  discussed  later  in  connection  with  the  stone  vases  and  the  origin 
of  Minoan  stone  cutting. 

If  the  decorative  instinct  of  the  E.  M.  II  and  E.  M.  Ill  artist 
remained  primitive,  his  knowledge  of  technique  had  attained  a  start- 
ling state  of  perfection  for  so  early  a  period.  He  was  able  to  carve 
vases  out  of  hard  materials  with  great  accuracy,  giving  them  a  finish 
as  good  as  that  produced  by  his  successors  of  the  great  Minoan 
periods.  His  ej'e  for  color  was  excellent,  and  the  stones  he  used  in 
making  both  vases  and  jewelry  show  a  high  artistic  sense.  In  metal 
work  he  was  more  proficient  than  could  have  been  expected.  Deco- 
rative designs,  always  geometric  in  character,  were  his  weakest 
point.  It  is  for  this  reason  that  the  designs  on  the  painted  pottery, 
particularly  those  on  E.  M.  II  vases,  led  one  to  expect  a  far  more 
primitive  culture  than  really  prevailed.  The  art  of  soldering  was 
still  unknown,  although  the  welding  of  gold  to  gold  was  sometimes 
practised,  and  the  early  ISIinoan  goldsmith  could  produce  gold  chains 
as  fine  as  those  of  the  late  Greek  period.  Already  a  love  of  natural- 
ism had  begun  to  affect  the  artistic  development  of  Minoan 
civilization.  Hairpins  were  made  in  the  shape  of  daisies  and 
crocuses,  although  naturalistic  designs  were  never  used  for 
painted  pottery  before  the  M.  M.  I  period.  This  need  not  cause 
surprise,  for  in  the  development  of  all  races  the  first  artistic  efforts 
are  devoted  to  objects  of  personal  adornment  rather  than 
to  utilitarian  purposes.  The  Minoan  lady  of  all  periods  seems  to 
have  devoted  much  attention  to  personal  adornment  and  it  was  to 
cater  to  her  tastes  that  the  earliest  artistic  efforts  were  directed. 

The  great  importance  of  the  Mochlos  cemetery  lies  in  the  fact  that 
it  shows  the  primitive  Minoans  under  very  different  conditions  from 
those  hitherto  imagined.  It  will  be  seen  that  long  before  the 
Middle  Minoan  palace  walls  were  reared  on  the  Kephala  at  Knossos, 
the  Minoans  were  a  wealthy  and  prosperous  people.  Although  we 
have  no  absolute  proof,  it  is  probable  that  they  had  already  entered 
into  communication  with  Egypt  and  had  begun  their  career  as  a 
great  maritime  power.  Oddly  enough  this  early  period  in  Eastern 
Crete  was  one  of  great  prosperity,  whereas  in  the  succeeding  M.  M. 
periods  the  eastern  towns  seemingly  dropped  back  into  insignificance. 
At  Knossos  the  reverse  would  appear  to  have  been  the  case,  but  as 
yet  it  is  impossible  to  oflFer  any  explanation  of  this  apparently 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCIILOS  IS 

uneven  development  in  so  small  an  island  as  Crete.  It  is  probable 
that  one  reason  for  the  prosperity  of  Mochlos  was  its  excellent 
harbor. 

The  Cemetery 

In  1908,  while  I  was  excavating  a  Minoan  settlement  on  the 
island  of  Mochlbs  for  the  American  School  at  Athens,'  my  attention 
was  attracted  by  the  great  number  of  potsherds  which  covered  the 
hillside  just  outside  the  western  limit  of  the  town.  As  the  presence 
of  a  huge,  upright  slab  of  stone  suggested  cist  graves  of  the  Cycladic 
type,  men  were  sent  to  cut  some  trenches  on  various  parts  of  the  slope. 
For  the  first  day  or  two  no  actual  burials  were  discovered,  but  the 
numbers  of  E.  M.  vases  and  fragmentary  stone  vessels  lying  scat- 
tered about  in  the  loose  soil  indicated  graves  which  had  been 
destroyed  by  denudation.  At  last,  close  to  the  great  slab  mentioned 
above,  an  undisturbed  burial  came  to  light,  and  for  the  next  five 
weeks  the  cemetery  continued  to  yield  a  rich  harvest  of  vases  and 
small  objects. 

The  general  position  of  the  burial  ground  may  be  seen  in  Figure 
1  (frontispiece).  It  is  situated  on  the  extreme  left  where  a  light 
patch,  indicating  the  earth  overturned  in  clearing  the  various  tombs, 
may  be  observed.  Owing  to  the  steep  declivity  on  which  the  tombs 
were  placed,  many  had  been  completely  destroyed  by  the  process 
of  denudation  and  their  contents  so  scattered  that  it  was  necessary 
to  clear  the  entire  hillside,  the  soil  of  which  was  found  to  be  filled 
with  objects  from  tombs  which  had  otherwise  disappeared. 

The  cemetery  falls  naturally  into  two  sections:  the  first  is  the 
hillside  just  mentioned,  covered  with  tombs  of  small  size  and  various 
types;  the  second  consists  of  six  large  ossuaries  or  burial  chambers. 
These  lay  apart  from  the  main  slope  farther  to  the  northwest  along 
a  narrow  ledge  of  rock.  Several  types  of  tombs  seem  to  have  been 
equally  popular  with  the  inhabitants  of  Mochlos  and  are  briefly 
described  below  in  chronological  order: 

1.  The  first  and  most  important  were  the  ossuaries  or  chamber 
tombs,  which  date  without  exception  from  the  E.  M.  II  and  E.  M. 
Ill  periods.  These  were  of  large  size  and  were  entered  through 
doorways  closed  by  huge  upright  slabs  of  stone. 

2.  The  tombs  of  the  second  type,  which  resemble  the  Cycladic 
cist  graves,  had  their  walls  formed  of  upright  slabs  of  stone.  Tombs 
of  this  sort  are  always  Early  Minoan.    In  many  cases  they  con- 

iA.J.  A.,  Vol.  XIII,  1909.  p.  873. 


U  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

tinued  in  use  during  the  M.  M.  age,  but  they  are  never  of  M.  M. 
construction. 

3.  Associated  with  the  cist  graves  was  a  third  type  of  tomb  which 
was  not  only  popular  with  the  Early  Minoans  but  was  emploj'ed 
throughout  the  Middle  Minoan  period.  In  this  class  the  walls  of 
the  tomb  were  built  of  small  stones  and  were  quite  similar  to  those 
found  in  house  construction.  In  several  cases  an  Early  Minoan 
tomb  showed  a  combination  of  this  type  with  the  preceding  one 
and  had  walls  partly  formed  of  upright  slabs  and  partly  built  of 
small  stones. 

4.  Fourthly,  there  were  a  few  examples  of  burials  in  holes  in  the 
rocks  with  no  walls  of  any  sort.  These  usually  dated  from  the  E.  M. 
period  and  contained  but  few  objects  and  those  of  poor  quality. 
A  small  cave  which  was  cleared  yielded  a  great  mass  of  bones  and 
two  clay  vessels  of  E.  M.  II  date. 

5.  Lastly,  in  the  M.  M.  Ill  and  L.  M.  I  epochs,  a  new  type  of 
burial  made  its  appearance.  In  these  periods  the  bodies  were 
placed  in  large  terra-cotta  jars  or  pithoi,  several  of  which  were  found 
standing  upside-down  in  the  surface  soil  over  the  earlier  tombs. 

No  system  of  orientation  was  followed  in  building  these  tombs 
and  they  lay  in  whichever  direction  best  suited  the  slope  of  the 
hill  on  which  they  were  placed. 

THE  NORTHWEST  GROUP  OF  TOMBS 

Northwest  of  the  cemetery  a  narrow  ledge  of  rock  extends  along 
the  face  of  the  cliff  for  about  100  yards.  On  one  side  a  precipice 
looms  overhead  and  on  the  other  there  is  a  drop  of  perhaps  100  feet 
to  the  sea  below.  On  this  ledge  stand  the  three  large  tombs  shown 
in  Figure  2.  These  burial  chambers  are  built  against  the  face  of  the 
cliff,  and  two  of  them  have  doorways  opening  upon  the  narrow  path 
which  follows  the  outer  edge  of  the  ledge  overhanging  the  sea. 
A  little  farther  on  this  ledge  expands,  forming  a  roughly  triangular 
space  enclosed  on  two  sides  by  towering  walls  of  rock,  and  on  the 
third  there  is  a  sheer  drop  of  100  feet  to  the  sea. 

On  the  northern  side  of  this  triangle  lie  three  more  large  chambers 
with  their  doorways  opening  to  the  south  upon  a  roughly  paved 
court  (see  Fig.  16).  The  walls  of  this  group  still  stand  to  a  consid- 
erable height.  The  tombs  were  entered  by  doorways  with  well- 
built  jambs,  and  in  the  central  one  of  the  three  the  door,  a  huge 
upright  slab  of  stone,  was  still  in  place.     From  evidence  which  will 


x; 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  15 

be  discussed  later  (p.  45)  it  seems  probable  that  these  chambers  were 
roofed  with  some  light  material. 

These  ossuaries,  as  they  might  be  called,  all  dated  from  the  Early 
Minoan  age,  at  the  end  of  which  they  were  abandoned.  In  the 
M.  M.  Ill  period  they  seem  to  have  been  partially  cleared,  for 
many  objects  of  this  date  were  found  lying  in  the  surface  soil 
over  the  earlier  burials.  These  later  deposits  rarely  contained 
painted  pottery,  or  in  fact  anything  of  value,  with  the  exception  of 
a  couple  of  seal  stones  and  some  knife  blades.  A  deposit  of  this 
date  in  two  of  the  large  chamber  tombs  (Nos.  II  and  IV)  contained 
inverted  jars,  one  in  one  tomb  and  two  in  the  other.  They  were 
of  typical  M.  M.  Ill  shape,  without  decoration,  and  contained 
neither  bones  nor  other  objects.  Another  inverted  jar  of  exactly 
similar  shape  was  found  built  into  a  low  wall  nearby.  This  con- 
tained a  deposit  of  curious  ashy-grey  earth  which,  by  comparison 
with  similar  deposits  in  burial  jars  found  at  Gournia,  we  now  know 
indicates  human  remains.' 


THE  MAIN  SLOPE 

On  the  main  slope  seventeen  distinct  tombs  of  small  size  were 
opened.  Originally  there  must  have  been  quite  double  that  number, 
judging  by  the  mass  of  pottery  which  covered  the  hillside.  These 
tombs  are  all  rectangular,  slightly  longer  than  they  are  wide,  with 
their  longer  sides  set  parallel  to  the  slope  of  the  hill.  Unlike  the 
large  chamber  tombs  they  seldom  possess  slab-filled  doorways. 
They  often  lack  a  wall  to  close  the  lower  end  which  faces  down  the 
hill,  but  this  usually  indicates  either  a  late  interment  in  an  early 
tomb  or  that  the  wall  has  been  overthrown  by  the  pressure  of  the 
soil  above. 

As  a  rule  the  tombs  measured  about  one  metre  by  two  metres 
and,  as  very  few  of  them  exceed  these  dimensions  by  more  than  a 
few  centimetres,  it  is  probable  that  all  were  intended  to  be  about 
the  same  size.  Each  tomb  contained  the  bones  of  several  bodies, 
and  it  is  certain  that  these  bones  belonged  to  secondary  burials 
rather  than  to  original  interments.  In  one  case  the  remains  of  as 
many  as  thirty  skulls  were  counted,  all  lying  in  a  heap  at  one  end 
of  the  tomb.  In  many  of  the  tombs,  as  in  the  large  ossuaries,  the 
bones  lay  together  at  one  end,  leaving  the  rest  of  the  chamber  free. 
The  small  tombs  were  never  roofed  and  even  the  cist  graves  never 

'The  finds  at  Gournia  are  to  be  published  by  Miss  Hall  in  Anih.  Pull. 


16  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

possessed  the  capping  stones  common  to  the  corresponding  Cycladic 
type. 

The  burials  on  the  main  slope  belonged  for  the  most  part  to  the 
E.  M.  II  and  E.  M.  Ill  periods.  A  few  M.  M.  I  interments  were 
found  and  five  early  graves  had  been  partially  cleared  and  used 
again  in  the  M.  M.  Ill  period.  In  some  cases  the  objects  in  a  tomb 
all  belonged  to  one  period,  but  more  often  it  was  clear  that  the 
bones  had  been  placed  in  the  tomb  at  widely  different  dates,  a  cir- 
cumstance which  produced  more  or  less  confusion.  Luckily,  as  has 
been  said,  the  largest  and  most  important  chamber  tombs  were  aban- 
doned in  the  E.  M.  Ill  period.  This  fixes  the  date  of  the  objects 
found  in  them  with  a  fair  amount  of  certainty,  as  in  only  a  few 
cases  were  they  disturbed  in  the  succeeding  periods. 

No  signs  of  cremation  were  found  in  any  part  of  the  cemetery. 
The  bones  and  teeth  in  no  case  showed  marks  of  fire,  although  in 
the  tholos  tombs  of  the  Messara  belonging  to  the  same  periods 
Dr.  Xanthoudides  has  found  traces  of  the  burning  of  the  dead. 

Some  of  the  nine  M.  M.  Ill  and  L.  M.  I  burial  jars  which  were 
found  intact  contained  the  bones  of  infants  and  no  other  objects. 
Others  were  quite  empty,  but  it  is  probable  that  they  too  had 
contained  child  burials  of  this  sort.  The  bones  which  still  remained 
in  some  of  these  jars  were  of  the  most  fragmentary  nature  and  fell 
to  pieces  as  soon  as  they  were  touched.  It  is  not  surprising,  there- 
fore, that  the  unpainted  jars  in  the  upper  strata  of  the  chamber 
tombs  contained  no  bones,  and  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  they 
were  in  reality  burials  of  tliis  description,  the  bones  of  which  had 
entirely  disintegrated.  On  the  main  slope  parts  of  six  more  such 
burial  jars,  which  had  been  carried  from  their  original  position  by 
denudation,  came  to  light.  These  too  are  only  large  enough  to 
have  contained  the  bodies  of  children,  so  that  we  must  suppose 
that  the  main  part  of  the  M.  M.  Ill  and  L.  M.  I  cemetery  lay  else- 
where. 

The  Mochlos  tombs  all  contained  a  filling  of  sticky  white  clay 
differing  widely  from  the  natural  brown  earth  of  the  hillside.  A 
destroyed  burial  could  always  be  recognized  by  this  clay  even  when 
the  walls  had  vanished.  At  Mochlos  this  soil  was  certainly  foreign 
to  the  site  as  it  was  entirelj'  different  from  the  earth  outside  the 
enclosing  walls  of  each  grave.  The  workmen  maintained  that  it 
was  a  species  of  clay  found  on  the  neighboring  mainland  which 
they  use  today  for  the  flat  clay  roofs  of  their  houses.  The  cemetery 
on  the  island  of  Pseira,  no  full  description  of  which  has  yet  been  pub- 
lished, lay  on  the  slope  of  a  hill  composed  of  similar  soil.     This  clay  at 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  17 

Mochlos  has  had  a  marvelously  preservative  effect  on  all  stone  vases 
except  those  of  black  steatite,  which  were  almost  without  exception 
badly  rotted.  Clay  vases  were  variously  affected  by  it.  In  some  cases 
the  surface  had  entirely  disintegrated,  probably  owing  to  some  error 
in  firing  when  the  vases  were  made.  The  mottled,  the  red  burnished 
and  the  black  bucchero  wares  were  as  a  rule  in  very  bad  condition, 
and  the  entire  surface  of  the  vases  flaked  off  in  large  scales.  Other 
vases,  especially  those  with  polished  buff  slips,  had  survived  in  a 
remarkably  fresh  state.  This  seems  always  to  be  the  case  in  later 
periods  such  as  L.  M.  Ill,  when  vases  with  a  polished  buff  slip  are 
quite  undamaged  by  their  long  burial  in  this  clay.  The  ware 
that  suflFered  most  at  Mochlos  was  the  light-on-dark  geometric 
style  of  the  E.  M.  Ill  period;  in  almost  all  cases  the  white  paint 
on  these  vases  had  quite  disappeared. 

Bronze,  wherever  it  was  sufficiently  covered  with  soil  to  protect 
it  from  the  infiltration  of  the  winter  rains,  was  well  preserved, 
silver  was  badly  corroded,  but  gold,  naturally,  remained  unaffected 
by  the  action  of  time.  Ivory,  though  found  in  very  small  quantity, 
was  well  preserved,  although  human  bones  were  reduced  to  the 
consistency  of  paper  and  only"  one  skull  could  be  saved  out  of  the 
many  fragments. 

THE    CHAMBER    TOMBS 

These  large  tombs,  six  in  number,  are  the  earliest  as  well  as  the 
most  important  in  the  Mochlos  cemetery.  They  lie,  as  has  been 
said,  on  the  northwest  face  of  the  island  along  a  narrow  ledge  above 
which  rise  precipitous  cliffs.  Their  isolation  and  the  richness  of 
the  objects  which  they  contained  lead  to  the  supposition  that  they 
were  the  burial  places  of  the  ruling  or  princely  families  of  the  E.  M. 
settlement  at  Mochlos. 

Of  these  tombs,  which  are  of  E.  M.  II  and  III  date,  Nos.  II  and 
VI  contained  the  richest  deposits;  in  Nos.  I  and  V  only  a  few 
objects  were  found  but  these  of  good  quality.  The  remaining  two, 
Nos.  Ill  and  IV,  were  thoroughly  plundered  in  the  M.  M.  period. 

The  tombs  Nos.  I,  II  and  III  are  shown  in  Figure  2.  They  lie 
side  by  side  along  a  narrow  ledge  of  rock.  Nos.  I  and  III  face 
west  and  open  upon  the  ledge,  but  No.  II  lies  with  its  longer  axis 
running  north  and  south  and  with  its  entrance  at  the  south  end. 
Figure  3  is  a  sketch  plan  showing  the  general  position  of  these 
three  tombs.  The  photograph  shown  in  Figure  2  is  taken  from  the 
north  side  of  Tomb  III  looking  south.  One  of  the  two  doorways 
of  No.  Ill  appears  in  the  central  foreground.     No.  I  lies  beyond. 


18  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

the  south  wall  of  No.  Ill  forming  the  north  wall  of  No.  I.  Still 
farther  beyond  lies  Tomb  II,  marked  by  the  huge  upright  slab  which 
forms  its  western  wall.  The  tomb  chamber  occupies  the  space 
between  this  slab  and  the  cliflF.  Along  the  west  front  of  these  tombs 
runs  the  narrow  path  by  which  they  were  reached.  The  drop  from 
here  to  the  sea  was  very  abrupt;  it  appears,  in  the  photograph,  as 
a  gradual  slope  because  of  the  earth  and  stones  which  were  thrown 
out  in  clearing  the  chambers.  In  the  background  across  the  very 
narrow  channel  appears  the  mainland  of  Crete  with  the  warehouses 
of  the  modern  port. 

Tomb  I 

As  may  be  seen  in  Figure  3,  this  tomb  has  a  double  doorway  and 
an  interior  partition  wall  dividing  it  into  two  narrow  chambers. 
Both  doors  were  closed  by  large  slabs,  and  the  walls  are  faced  in 
the  same  fashion.  The  left-hand  chamber  measures  3  m.  in  depth 
and  1.10  m.  in  width;  the  second  chamber  is  2  m.  deep  and  60  cm. 
in  width.     The  wall  at  the  inner  or  east  end  stands  1.60  m.  in  height. 

Nothing  was  found  in  the  left-hand  compartment.  The  other 
was  filled  with  the  remains  of  many  bodies.  There  were  parts  of  at 
least  thirty  skulls  mixed  with  a  confused  mass  of  other  bones.  This 
burial  deposit  was  1  m.  deep,  and  above  it  was  a  filling  of  earth  and 
small  stones  20  cm.  in  depth.  In  the  earth  of  this  artificial  filling, 
lying  on  the  surface  of  the  white  clay  which  contained  the  early 
interments,  was  found  a  chalcedony  seal  stone  of  M.  M.  Ill  date 
which  is  shown  in  Figure  6,  No.  I,  *.  In  and  above  this  filling  were 
fragments  of  M.  M.  Ill  pottery,  but  no  signs  of  a  burial  of  that 
period,  nor  was  there  any  evidence  that  would  point  to  an  attempt 
to  plunder  the  early  deposit. 

The  objects  found  in  this  tomb  are  as  follows: 

I.  o  (fig.  4).  Dish  or  cover  of  black  burnished  ware  (height 
13.5  cm.,  diameter  17.8  cm.).  This  is  an  example  of  a  class  of  vessels 
which  frequently  occurred  in  the  cemetery.  It  is  very  doubtful 
whether  they  are  really  covers  or  merely  the  prototype  of  the  Middle 
Minoan  "fruit  stand"  like  that  from  Palaikastro.'  Of  the  many 
recovered, — often  two  or  three  from  one  grave, — none  was  ever 
found  with  a  vase  to  which  it  could  possibly  have  belonged.  Now, 
since  it  is  improbable  that  covers  were  placed  in  a  burial  de- 
posit without  their  vases,  another  explanation  is  imperative.  Among 
the  E.  M.  I  vases  in  Figure  48,  we  find  a  very  small  dish  (No.  34) 

■  B.  S.  A.,  Vol.  IX,  p.  308,  Fig.  8. 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  19 


-1 

X 

Co 

m 

> 

CD 

tn 

r 
o 


FlQUKE   3.      CnAMDEB  T0UB8   N08.    I,   II   AND   III.      ScALE    1  :  100 


20  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

on  a  short  foot,  which  certainly  bears  a  striking  resemblance,  on  a 
small  scale,  to  these  larger  burnished  vessels.  In  the  case  of  this 
little  dish  there  can  be  no  question  as  to  its  use,  since  the  clay 
lump  on  the  foot  is  clearly  a  handle  by  which  to  lift  it  as  a  dish. 
Fragments  of  both  the  large  vessels  and  these  small  dishes  occurred 
frequently  in  a  deposit  of  E.  M.  I  ware  from  the  cemetery.  The 
little  dishes  were  perhaps  for  votive  use  and  may  have  served  as 
substitutes  for  the  larger  vessels  like  that  in  question  from  Tomb  I. 
Another  vase  similar  to  No.  I,  a,  was  found  with  it  but  so  badly 
rotted  that  it  could  not  be  preserved. 

I.  b  (figs.  4,  13).  Small  jug  of  highly  polished  buff  clay  with 
two  diagonal  bands  of  cross-hatched  triangles  on  the  shoulder  (height 
10.1  cm.,  diameter  8.5  cm.). 

I.  c  (fig.  4).  Bowl  of  black  steatite  (height  3  cm.,  diameter  6 
cm.).  This  bowl  was  found  near  the  surface  of  the  burial  deposit; 
it  may  belong  to  the  M.  M.  Ill  period  like  the  carneUan  seal,  Figure 
6,  No.  I,  s. 

I.  d  (fig.  4) .  Small  jug  of  grey  and  white  marble  (height  3.5 
cm.,  diameter  4.7  cm.). 

I.  e  (fig.  4  AND  PL.  IV) .  Unfinished  bowl  of  grey  and  orange 
breccia  (height  6.4  cm.,  diameter  8.5  cm.).  The  unfinished  state 
of  this  bowl  would  tend  to  prove  that  these  vases  were  made  in 
the  town  of  Mochlos.  Either  this  vase  was  not  ready  at  the  time 
of  the  interment  or  else  the  flaw  in  the  rim  caused  the  maker  to  leave 
it  uncompleted.  It  shows  th^t  the  vases  were  roughly  chipped  into 
the  required  shape  and  then  polished.  In  this  example  the  rough 
surface  is  still  visible  around  the  base. 

I.  /  (fig.  4).  Bowl  of  alabaster  with  a  rim  spout  and  three  lip 
handles  (height  5.4  cm.,  diameter  13  cm.).  This  is  a  brilliantly 
veined  piece  of  stone  like  that  used  for  the  vases  of  Plate  IV,  No. 
V,  i,  and  Plate  V,  No.  VI,  2. 

I.  g  (fig.  4).  Tiny  bowl  of  translucent  green  steatite  (height  1.5 
cm.,  diameter  4  cm.). 

I.  h  (fig.  4).  Small  jug  of  grey  marble  (height  3  cm.,  diameter 
3.8  cm.). 

I.  i  (figs.  4,  5) .  Cover  of  green  steatite  with  incised  design  and 
handle  in  the  form  of  a  dog  (diameter  11  cm.).  This  handle  is  the 
earliest  attempt  at  animal  modeling  found  in  the  cemetery.     The 


a 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 


21 


dog  is  interesting  as  it  represents  a  canine  type  which  still  exists  in 
Crete  today.  In  any  Cretan  village  one  can  see  dozens  of  crop- 
eared  dogs  of  the  same  peculiar  long-legged  and  emaciated  type 
which  served  the  Minoan  artist  as  his  model  for  this  handle  some 
4000  years  ago.  The  ground  work  of  incisions,  together  with  the 
pierced  suspension  holes,  shows  the  influence  of  the  incised  sub- 
neolithic  ware  which  was  just  dying  out  when  this  tomb  was  built. 
No  fragment  of  any  vase  to  which  this  cover  could  have  belonged 
came  to  light. 


FiGCBE  6.    Stone  Coveb  frou  Toub  I.    Scale  1 : 1 


I.  j  (fig.  4  AND  PL.  I).  Bowl  of  grey  and  white  marble  with 
bridge  spout  and  three  horizontal  handles  (height  7.5  cm.,  diam- 
eter 17.5  cm.).  This  bowl  is  one  of  the  largest  found  at  Mochlos 
and  is  complete  except  for  a  small  piece  of  the  rim. 

I.  k  (fig.  44).  Short  triangular  dagger  blade  (length  9.2  cm.). 
This  dagger  is  probably  copper.' 

I.  I  (fig.  44).  Small  cutter  with  remains  of  ivory  handle  (length 
3  cm.).     These  cutters,  which  are  probably  of  copper,  were  often 

'  If  we  accept  Sig.  Mosso's  analyses  of  Early  Minoan  weapons,  it  would  appear  that  they 
arc  of  almost  pure  copper  and  that  bronze,  if  known,  was  ran-ly  used  in  the  E.  M.  period 
(Dawn  Med.  Civ.,  pp.  105-110).  The  Mochlos  weapons  and  toilet  articles  have  not  been 
analysed,  but  I  imagine  that  if  analyses  are  made,  it  will  be  found  that  no  objects  are  of  true 
bronze  before  the  M.  M.  I  period.     See  p.  106,  note  I. 


88  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

found  in  the  Mochlos  cemetery  and,  as  they  are  usually  associated 
with  depilatory  pincers,  must  have  played  some  part  in  the  intri- 
cacies of  the  Minoan  toilet  (see  p.  107). 

I.  m  (figs.  6,  36).  Large  gold  bead  bearing  a  rosette  pattern 
(diameter  1.4  cm.).  Like  a  similar  bead  from  Tomb  XIX  it  is 
evidently  copied  from  vertebral  fish  bones  which  were  sometimes 
used  to  form  necklaces  in  the  early  periods.' 

I.  n  (fig.  36).  Silver  cylinder  seal,  possibly  of  Babylonian  origin 
(length  1.5  cm.,  diameter  of  the  opening  6  mm.).  The  design  is  too 
worn  to  be  recognizable  (see  p.  111). 

I.  0  (fig.  36).     Electrum  lentoid  bead  (diameter  1  cm.). 


I.  m 
FiGtTRE  6.    Scale  1  :  1 

I.  p  (no  ilx,ustration)  .     Fragment  of  gold  leaf. 

I.  q  (no  ilXiUSTRation).     Small  crystal  bead. 

I.  r  (no  illustration).     Small  amethyst  bead. 

I.  s  (figs.  6,  36).  Lentoid  seal  of  chalcedony  engraved  with 
design  of  an  octopus,  two  fish  and  a  sea-urchin  (diameter  of  field 
2.3  cm.). 

Tomb  II 

This  tomb  was  the  richest  of  the  23  opened  in  the  cemetery.  The 
west  wall  was  clear  of  soil  before  excavations  began  and  the  great 
upright  slab  of  which  it  is  formed  (shown  in  Fig.  2)  was  what  first 
called  my  attention  to  this  spot  as  the  possible  site  of  the  cemetery. 
The  north  wall  (see  Fig.  3)  abuts  on  Tomb  I;  the  west  consists  of 
the  great  slab;  the  south  had  been  swept  away;  the  remaining  east 
wall  was  merely  a  facing  of  slabs  against  the  natural  rock  of  the  cliff 
which  overhangs  the  tomb.     The  door,  if  such  existed,  must  have 

>  Dawn  Med.  Civ.,  pp.  205-208;  Halbherr,  Memorie  del  R.  Irtiluto  Lombardo,  1904,  PI. 
VI.  Figs.  25,  26. 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  «S 

been  at  the  south  end,  but  since  the  wall  at  this  point  had  been 
completely  destroyed  in  the  process  of  denudation,  its  existence 
cannot  be  proved. 

The  tomb  measures  1.80  m.  in  width,  the  east  wall  facing  the  cliflf 
is  5.60  m.  long,  whereas  the  west  wall,  the  upright  slab,  measures 
only  2.56  m.  in  length.  Probably  a  second  slab  of  similar  size  once 
stood  beside  the  existing  one,  which  would  make  the  tomb  a  rectan- 
gle measuring  1.80  m.  in  width  by  5.50  to  6  m.  in  length. 

The  floor  is  composed  of  natural  rock  which  is  stratified  with  a 
decided  downward  slope  to  the  south.  At  the  upper  or  north  end 
this  floor  falls  away,  forming  a  roughly  circular  cavity  70  cm.  deep 
and  1.50  m.  at  its  greatest  diameter  (see  Fig.  3).  This  cavity  seems 
to  have  been  partly  natural,  partly  artificial,  since  there  is  an  outcrop 
of  soft  stone  at  this  point.  The  depth  from  the  bottom  of  this  cavity 
to  the  top  of  the  north  wall  is  1.60  m.  At  the  south  end  the  rise  of 
the  rock  floor  reduces  this  depth  to  only  1  m. 

The  surface  earth  had  been  disturbed  in  the  M.  M.  Ill  period,  in 
this  as  in  most  of  the  other  tombs.  The  knife  blade  of  Figure  45, 
No.  II,  52,  was  found  almost  on  the  surface.  It  is  possible  that  it 
may  be  of  M.  M.  Ill  date,  but  judging  from  its  shape  one  would  be 
inclined  to  place  it  even  later,  perhaps  in  the  L.  M.  I  period.  At  the 
south  end  of  the  tomb,  also  near  the  surface,  was  found  the  slender 
knife  blade  of  Figure  31,  No.  II,  51,  which  undoubtedly  belongs  to  the 
M.  M.  Ill  era,  as  do  a  large  unpainted  bowl  and  jar  which  lay  near 
it.  On  the  rock  floor  at  this  end  of  the  tomb  lay  many  bones  but  no 
other  objects;  in  fact  the  only  other  part  of  the  tomb  which  yielded 
remains  was  the  cavity  with  the  soil  immediately  above  it.  It  may 
be  that  the  M.  M.  Ill  intruders  cleared  out  this  part  of  the  original 
interment  but,  deceived  by  the  slope  of  the  rock  floor  to  the  north, 
left  the  bulk  of  the  contents  in  the  deep  north  end  untouched.  At 
any  rate  the  soil  for  some  20  cm.  above  the  top  of  the  circular  cav- 
ity seemed  not  to  have  been  disturbed  and  contained  no  M.  M.  I  or 
M.  M.  Ill  objects.  Two  badly  preserved  vases  of  E.  M.  II  mottled 
ware  were  found  at  this  level,  together  with  the  bowl  of  grey  and 
white  stone  shown  in  Figure  7,  No.  II,  g.  Close  to  these  lay  the  small 
clay  jug  of  Figure  7,  No.  II,  b,  which  was  the  only  object  in  the  whole 
deposit  that  could  be  assigned  with  certainty  to  the  E.  M.  Ill  period. 
It  is  a  badly  preserved  example  of  the  typical  light-on-dark  geometric 
ware  of  this  period.  At  a  slightly  lower  depth  lay  the  clay  saucer 
and  jug  of  Figure  7,  Nos.  II,  /  and  r.  All  the  soil  at  this  point  was 
filled  with  fragments  of  bones,  and  as  the  mouth  of  the  cavity  was 
approached,  stone  vases  and  ornaments  began  to  make  their  appear- 


84  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

ance  in  increasing  quantities.  The  bulk  of  the  deposit  lay  in  the 
l&st  25  cm.  of  soil  at  the  bottom  of  the  cavity,  most  of  the  gold 
ornaments  piled  in  a  confused  heap  against  its  south  side.  All  the 
objects  seemed  to  have  been  thrown  in  promiscuously  and  were  mixed 
with  the  fragmentary  remains  of  many  bodies.  As  no  later  objects 
made  their  appearance  in  the  entire  deposit  or  in  the  soil  immediately 
above  the  cavity,  we  may  consider  the  tomb  as  belonging  exclusively 
to  the  E.  M. II  and  III  periods.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  one  E. M. Ill 
jug,  the  deposit  might  have  been  considered  as  of  E.  M.  II  date 
only.  As  it  is,  the  presence  of  this  jug  shows  that  this  tomb  was  in 
use  not  only  at  the  end  of  the  E.  M.  II  but  at  the  beginning  of  the 
E.  M.  Ill  period.  This  date  is  further  confirmed  by  the  ivory  seals 
and  the  short  triangular  daggers,  which  we  know  from  other  sites  are 
peculiar  to  the  E.  M.  age.  Though  found  in  both  E.  M.  II  and 
E.  M.  Ill  graves,  fine  stone  vases  were  more  abundant  and  of 
slightly  larger  size  in  the  earlier  of  these  two  periods.  The  gold 
work  is  identical,  and  we  have  only  the  marked  change  in  the  style 
of  decoration  of  painted  pottery  by  which  to  differentiate  the  E. 
M.  II  and  E.  M.  Ill  periods.  Had  this  tomb  stood  alone  as  a 
solitary  example,  unsupported  by  other  evidence,  one  would  have 
been  inclined  to  place  the  fine  gold  chains  and  the  stone  vases  in  a 
much  later  period.  Luckily  the  entire  evidence  of  the  cemetery 
assigns  these  two  classes  of  objects  to  the  Early  Minoan  age,  and 
although  one  might  doubt  the  evidence  of  a  single  tomb,  the 
corroborative  proof  of  an  entire  cemetery  can  hardly  be  disputed. 
The  tomb  contained  129  objects,  of  which  85  are  gold  ornaments, 
15  stone  vases,  9  objects  of  copper  and  bronze,  4  of  lead,  3  of  clay 
and  13  miscellaneous  objects  of  ivory,  silver  and  stone. 
The  vases  are  as  follows: 

II.  a  (fig.  7  AND  PL.  II).  Bowl  of  grey  marble  with  a  broad  vein 
of  white  alabaster.  At  first  glance  this  bowl  would  appear  to  be 
made  of  two  separate  pieces  of  stone  fastened  together,  but  in  reality 
it  is  merely  a  freak  in  veining  of  which  the  Minoan  artist  took 
advantage.  This  shape  seems  to  have  been  borrowed  from  the 
black  burnished  E.  M.  I  and  II  wares,  its  resemblance  to  which  is 
increased  by  the  holes  in  the  rim  for  tying  on  a  cover  (height  6  cm., 
diameter  10.5  cm.). 

II.  b  (fig.  7).  Clay  jug  of  the  E.  M.  Ill  period,  showing  traces  of 
white  paint  on  a  black  ground  (height  8.8  cm.,  diameter  7.6  cm.). 
This  jug  has  been  mentioned  on  p.  23  in  connection  with  the  date 
of  the  tomb. 


o 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  U 

II.  c  (fig.  7).  Small  bowl  of  pink,  white  and  grey  breccia  (height 
2  cm.,  diameter  4.5  cm.). 

II.  d  (fig.  7  AND  PL.  II).  Small  bowl  of  opaque  green  steatite  of 
very  fine  quality.  Of  the  various  stones  employed  in  making 
these  Mochlos  vases  this  species  of  steatite  is  capable  of  taking  the 
highest  polish.  It  seems  to  have  been  a  rare  material,  for  only 
seven  examples  of  it  occurred  and  these  are  all  of  small  size  (height 
4.5  cm.,  diameter  6.4  cm.). 

II.  e  (fig.  7  AND  PL.  II).  Small  vase  and  cover  in  the  same 
material  as  the  preceding  (height  7  cm.).  This  shape  is  certainly 
new  to  Crete.  It  resembles  the  "Art  Nouveau"  vases  of  the 
present  day  and  has  a  decidedly  modern  look. 

11./  (fig.  7).  Cup  of  grey  and  white  marble  which  recalls  in 
shape  the  clay  cups  of  the  M.  M.  I  period  (height  4.8  cm.,  diame- 
ter 4  cm.). 

II.  g  (fig.  7).  Shallow  bowl  of  the  same  material  as  No.  11,/ 
(height  3.8  cm.,  diameter  11.9  cm.).  This  marble  is  of  harder 
quality  than  that  usually  employed  for  the  Mochlos  vases. 

n.  h  (fig.  7  AND  PL.  II).  Cup  of  translucent  green  steatite  on  a 
foot  (height  5.8  cm.,  diameter  3.2  cm.).  This  shape  is  derived  from 
the  E.  M.  II  "egg  cups."  '  The  incised  design  recalls  the  sub-neo- 
lithic ware  of  the  same  period. 

II.  i  (fig.  7).  Small  spouted  bowl  of  coarse  white  limestone  with 
three  knob  handles  (height  3  cm.,  diameter  3.2  cm.). 

II.  j  (fig.  7  AND  PL.  II).  Vase  of  plain  dark  grey  steatite,  a  stone 
which  rarely  appears  in  the  cemetery  (height  7  cm.,  diameter  4.3 
cm.).    This  vase  shows  analogies,  in  shape,  with  Egyptian  vases. 

II.  k  (fig.  7  AND  PL.  II).  Little  pot  of  translucent  green  steatite 
(height  4  cm.,  diameter  2.5  cm.). 

II.  I  (figs.  7,  13).  Clay  saucer  of  E.  M.  II  dark-on-light  geo- 
metric ware  (height  3.7  cm.,  diameter  14.8  cm.). 

II.  m  (fig.  7  AND  PL.  II).  Tiny  bowl  of  clear  yellow  alabaster 
with  two  lip  handles  (height  2  cm.,  diameter  3.5  cm.).  This  material 
is  rare. 

II.  n  (fig.  7).  Small  bowl  of  translucent  steatite  (height  2.2  cm., 
diameter  3.6  cm.). 

•  Goumia,  PI.  XII,  No.  15. 


S6  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

n.  0  (fig.  7  AND  PL.  II).  Pot  of  alabaster  of  the  same  quality 
as  II,  m  (height  3.8  cm.,  diameter  4.7  cm.). 

II.  p  (fig.  7).  Small  jug  of  translucent  green  steatite  (height  3.5 
cm.,  diameter  4  cm.). 

II.  q  (fig.  7  AND  PL.  III).  Grey  and  white  marble  bowl  on  foot 
(height  7.3  cm.,  diameter  14.8  cm.).  This  shape  can  be  closely 
paralleled  in  the  black  burnished  ware  of  the  E.  M.  II  period  by 
a  bowl  from  Tomb  XX  (Fig.  32,  No.  XX,  1).  Similar  clay  vessels 
come  from  Syros.' 

n.  r  (fig.  7).  Clay  jug  of  E.  M.  II  ware.  Bands  of  dark  paint 
around  neck  and  base  (height  7  cm.,  diameter  5.1  cm.).  This  jug 
has  been  mentioned  (p.  23)  in  connection  with  the  date  of  the  tomb. 

The  gold  ornaments  are  as  follows: 

II.  1  (figs.  8,  9).  Strip  of  gold  worked  with  dotted  design.  Two 
holes  are  pierced  at  either  end  (length  14.5  cm.,  width  2  cm.). 
In  the  drawing  of  this  piece  in  Figure  9  the  line  of  the  original 
tracing  can  be  distinguished ;  in  cutting  it  out  from  the  large  sheet 
of  gold  the  maker  did  not  follow  exactly  the  original  model. 

II.  1,  a  (no  illustration).  Similar  strip  of  the  same  dimen- 
sions. 

II.  2  (fig.  8).  Strip  of  thin  gold  with  border  of  dots.  There 
are  holes  at  either  end  like  those  in  No.  II,  1,  and  three  groups  of 
two  small  holes  along  one  edge  (length  17.5  cm.,  width  1.4  cm.). 

n.  3  (figs.  8,  9).  Diadem  of  thin  gold,  much  bent,  with  three 
holes  at  either  end  for  fastening  around  the  head.  Along  one  edge 
there  are  three  groups  of  three  small  holes.  Similar  groups  of  holes 
occur  in  the  edges  of  nearly  all  these  fillets  or  diadems.  They  may 
have  been  intended  for  fastening  chains  or  pendants  to  the  diadem 
after  the  fashion  of  the  Trojan  jewelry,  but  in  no  case  was  anything 
of  the  kind  found.  This  diadem  shows  signs  of  hard  usage  and  is 
full  of  small  pin  holes,  which  would  lead  one  to  suppose  that  it 
had  been  worn  for  some  time  before  it  was  finally  consigned  to 
the  tomb  (length  19.3  cm.,  width  3.3  cm.). 

II.  4  (figs.  8,  9).  Diadem  of  thin  gold.  The  dotted  design  of 
animals,  apparently  dogs,  might  well  belong  to  the  geometric  art  of 
the  Iron  Age  rather  than  to  that  of  the  early  Bronze  Age.  There 
are  two  holes  at  either  end.     Along  the  upper  edge  are  five  places  at 

'  £p.  'Apz;  1899.  PI.  8.  Nos.  6,  13. 


'l(;l  UK    S.       ><    M.I       Ulcil  T    \.'  : 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  27 

regular  intervals  where  the  metal  has  been  torn  or  broken  away.  It 
is  possible  that  like  the  other  diadems  this  one  had  groups  of  holes 
along  the  edge  for  pendants  and  that  these  had  been  wrenched  oflf 
before  the  diadem  was  consigned  to  the  tomb  (length  32.3  cm., 
width  3  cm.). 

II.  5  (figs.  8,  9).  Diadem  of  heavy  gold.  The  metal  in  this 
example  is  much  thicker  than  in  the  preceding  and  there  seems  no 
doubt  that  it  was  actually  worn  in  the  lifetime  of  the  owner.  The 
design  of  dotted  lines  is  punched  through  from  the  back,  as  is  the 
case  with  most  of  these  ornaments.  It  has  been  suggested  that 
these  diadems  were  made  solely  for  funerary  purposes  and  were 
used  for  bandaging  the  eyes  of  the  dead;  but  this  specimen  shows 
such  distinct  signs  of  wear  that  in  this  case  it  seems  hardly  possible. 
At  the  left  end  are  two  groups  of  pin  holes,  showing  that  the  metal 
had  been  pierced  again  and  again  in  order  to  fasten  the  diadem 
more  securely  on  the  wearer's  head.  Along  the  upper  edge  are  the 
usual  groups  of  small  holes  (length  29  cm.,  width  3.5  cm.). 

II.  6  (fig.  8).  Plain  diadem  of  thin  gold  with  three  groups  of 
holes  along  the  upper  edge  and  many  marks  of  pin  holes  (length 
20.5  cm.,  width  2.8  cm.) 

II.  7  (figs.  8,  9).  Fragment  of  diadem  in  thin  gold  with  a  design 
of  dotted  lozenges  (length  16  cm.,  width  about  2  cm.).  These 
diadems  are  very  like  one  of  silver  found  at  Siphnos.'  In  the 
Siphnos  example  we  find  the  same  dotted  technique  employed.  The 
geometrical  designs  of  animals  and  conventional  patterns  so  closely 
resemble  the  designs  on  the  Mochlos  diadems  that  one  must  assign 
them  roughly  to  the  same  period. 

II.  8  (figs.  8,  9).  This  is  perhaps  an  ornament  of  a  similar  descrip- 
tion, although  both  ends  are  missing.  At  the  central  point  the  width 
of  the  gold  band  is  reduced  to  the  thickness  of  a  wire,  on  either  side 
of  which  is  an  anchor  in  dotted  lines.  Two  holes  are  pierced 
through  the  metal  close  to  the  stem  of  each  anchor  (length  14.6  cm., 
width  1  cm.). 

II.  9  (figs.  8,  9).  Thin  bar  of  twisted  gold  pierced  at  either  end 
(length  18  cm.). 

II.  10  (fig.  8).  Strip  of  thin  gold,  possibly  a  small  fillet,  pattern 
of  dots.     There  are  the  usual  holes  at  either  end  and  a  network  of 

I  'Ey.  "Apx;  1899,  PI.  10,  No.  1. 


mm 


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o 


so  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

other  holes  where  pins  have  been  jabbed  through  the  metal  (length 
27  cm.,  width  1  cm.)- 

II.  11  (figs.  8,  9).  Ornament  of  thin  gold.  Evidently  part  of 
this  ornament  has  been  broken  away.  The  restoration  given  in 
Figure  8,  where  a  stem  has  been  added  to  the  gold  trefoil,  is  not 
correct.  Figure  9,  No.  11,  11,  a,  shows  a  more  probable  restoration 
in  which  a  fourth  leaf  is  supplied,  the  stem  remaining  as  a  sep- 
arate object  (diameter  4  cm.). 

II.  12  (figs.  8,  9).     Boss  of  gold  with  a  dotted  border  (diameter 

2  cm.). 

II.  13,  a,  b  (figs.  8,  9).  Two  hoops  of  gold.  These  hoops  were 
evidently  the  rims  of  some  object,  since  they  are  turned  in  around 
the  edges  as  though  to  grip  a  core  of  some  sort.  It  has  been  sug- 
gested that  they  may  be  the  rims  of  tiny  porcelain  vases  which  have 
perished  and  that  the  gold  bosses  of  Figure  9,  No.  II,  12,  and  Figure 

10,  No.  II,  32,  may  have  served  as  covers.  Figure  9,  No.  II,  12,  a, 
shows  the  hoop  and  boss  together  in  this  form.  Such  porcelain 
vases  with  gold  rims  have  been  found  at  Knossos.'  (No.  II,  13,  a, 
diameter  1.9  cm.;  No.  II,  13,  b,  diameter  2.5  cm.). 

II.  14  (figs.  8,  9).  Object  of  thin  gold,  probably  an  ornament 
from  a  dagger  sheath  of  cloth  or  leather.  The  design  was  beaten 
out  over  a  form  bearing  the  required  tooling  instead  of  being  worked 
through  from  the  back  as  was  the  case  with  the  diadems  (length 
4.2  cm.,  width  1.8  cm.). 

II.  15,  a,  b  (figs.  8,  9).  Two  plain  triangular  gold  ornaments 
pierced  at  the  narrow  ends  (length  5  cm.,  width  at  bottom  2.5  to 

3  cm.). 

II.  16,  a-f  (fig.  8).  Six  strips  of  thin  gold  intended  for  fastening 
to  garments.  All  six  have  dotted  borders.  Nos.  a,  6,  e  and  /  are 
not  pierced  at  the  end,  which  was  folded  over  some  object.  In  all 
there  are  nine  such  strips.     Two  others  are  shown  in  Figures  10, 

11,  No.  II,  31,  a,  b.     In  length  these  strips  vary  from  9  to  10  cm. 

II.  17,  o,  b  (fig.  8).  Two  plain  strips  similar  to  those  described 
above.     They  are  both  pierced  at  one  end  (length  7.5  cm.). 

II.  18,  a-i  (fig.  8).  All  of  these  nine  gold  bands,  with  the  excepn 
tion  of  No.  i,  are  pieces  of  armlets.  Nos.  a,  b,  c  belong  together 
and  formed  an  armlet  like  that  from  Tomb  XVI  shown  in  Figure  38, 

>  B.  S.  A.,  Vol.  Mil,  p.  i5.  Fig.  11. 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  81 

No.  XVI,  13.  It  seems  to  have  been  cut  up  intentionally  to  form 
a  narrow  armlet,  composed  of  four  pieces,  one  of  which  has  disap- 
peared. The  rivet  holes  for  fastening  the  pieces  together  can  be  seen 
at  the  ends  of  each  strip.  No.  d  is  a  part  of  a  similar  armlet  of 
poorer  workmanship.  Nos.  e  and  g  belong  together  and  were  orig- 
inally of  the  same  length,  but  one  end  of  g  has  been  broken  off. 
Nos.  /  and  h  are  likewise  parts  of  one  armlet  and  show  much 
coarser  tooling  than  the  others.  These  armlets  are  of  fairly  thick 
gold  and,  like  No.  II,  14,  were  beaten  out  over  a  form.  The  fact 
that  the  edges  are  always  turned  in  may  indicate  that  they  were 
only  a  facing  to  a  core  of  perishable  material  around  which  the 
edges  were  folded.  The  pieces  vary  in  length  from  7  to  10  cm., 
and  are  2  cm.  in  width.  No.  i  is  a  narrow  strip  of  gold  with  a 
dotted  border  and  two  holes  in  one  end  (length  7  cm.,  width  1  cm.). 

II.  19,  a-h  (figs.  10,  11).  Eight  leaf-shaped  pendants  of  gold. 
It  is  possible  that  these  belonged  to  the  diadems  and  were  fastened 
in  the  holes  noticed  in  their  upper  edges.  These  pendants  vary  from 
2  to  3  cm.,  in  length. 

II.  20,  21  (figs.  10,  11).  A  narrow  armlet  of  thick  gold  bearing 
a  design  of  lozenges  scratched  on  the  surface  of  the  metal.  Like 
the  armlets  of  No.  II,  18,  this  one  is  formed  of  two  pieces  which 
were  riveted  together  (length  of  each  piece  10  cm.,  width  1  cm.). 

II.  22  (fig.  10).  Six  gold  beads.  The  two  largest  evidently  had 
a  core  of  perishable  material  as  the  metal  is  too  thin  to  have  stood 
alone. 

II.  23,  a,  b,  c  (fig.  10).  Gold  leaves  from  sprays  like  No.  II,  24. 
In  all  twenty  such  leaves  were  found  some  with  a  dotted  border  and 
some  plain. 

II.  24,  a,  b,  c  (figs.  10,  11).  Sprays  of  gold  leaves  probably  for 
wearing  in  the  hair;  a  should  have  a  fourth  leaf  like  those  of  6  and  c, 
but  unfortunately  it  has  been  broken  off.  The  leaves  vary  from  4 
to  5  cm.  in  length. 

II.  25  (fig.  10).  Disk  of  thin  gold  with  dotted  border,  much 
crushed.  This  may  have  been  sewn  on  a  garment  as  there  are 
some  tiny  holes  around  the  edge  (diameter  5  cm.). 

II.  26,  27  (fig.  10).  Two  strips  of  plain  gold  pierced  with  holes  at 
either  end  (length  11  and  9  cm.,  width  1.4  cm.  and  8  mm.). 


82  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

II.  28  (fig.  10).  Minature  copy  of  the  large  diadems  with  similar 
holes  along  the  upper  edge  and  in  the  ends  (length  7  cm.,  width 
2.2  cm.).  This  was  probably  intended  solely  for  burial  purposes 
and  doubtless  served  as  a  cheap  substitute  for  a  real  diadem. 

II.  29,  a,  b  (figs.  10, 11).  Two  pins  representing  a  flower,  proba- 
bly a  crocus  (length  5  cm.). 

II.  30  (figs.  10, 11).  Exquisitely  fine  gold  chain  of  double  links 
divided  into  two  parts  by  a  leaf-shaped  piece  of  gold.  It  is  attached 
at  the  upper  end  to  a  hoop  of  twisted  wire  and  the  lower  end 
carries  a  bell-shaped  pendant  (length  11  cm.). 

II.  31,  a,  b  (figs.  10,  11).  Two  strips  of  gold  with  dotted  border; 
a  is  pierced  at  either  end,  b  at  one  end  only  (length  9.5  cm.,  width 
9  mm.). 

II.  32  (fig.  10).  Boss  of  gold  like  that  shown  in  Figure  9,  No.  11, 
12,  but  badly  crushed  (diameter  2  cm.). 

II.  33  (figs.  10,  11).  Cross-shaped  gold  ornament  made  of  two 
pieces  of  metal.  It  has  a  dotted  border  and  in  the  centre  four  rivet 
holes  for  fastening  the  two  pieces  together  (length  of  each  strip 
5.5  cm.). 

II.  34  (fig.  10).  Ornament  of  thin  gold  pierced  with  two  holes  at 
the  upper  end.  One  arm  had  been  broken  away;  the  complete  arm 
is  6.1  cm.  in  length. 

II.  35  (figs.  10, 11).  Fine  gold  chain  to  which  are  attached  seven 
leaf-shaped  pendants  at  irregular  intervals  (length  7.9  cm.). 

II.  36  (figs.  10,  11).  Coarser  chain  of  single  hnks  with  bell- 
shaped  pendant  (length  7  cm.).  These  gold  chains,  Nos.  30,  35, 
and  36,  together  with  similar  chains  from  Tombs  IV,  VI  and  XIX, 
are  the  finest  specimens  of  gold  work  from  the  cemetery. 

II.  37  (fig.  10).  Two  small  beads  of  bronze  covered  with  gold 
leaf  (length  1  cm.). 

In  addition  to  the  ornaments  just  described  there  were  pieces  of 
many  others,  together  with  a  number  of  scraps  of  gold  foil.  As  has 
been  said  (p.  15),  these  burials  were  evidently  secondary,  and  in  the 
removal  of  the  bones  from  the  place  of  burial  to  their  final  resting 
place  in  the  ossuaries,  many  of  the  smaller  objects  doubtless  disap- 
peared. When  the  bones  were  placed  in  the  ossuary,  the  ornaments, 
vases  and  weapons  were  tossed  carelessly  into  the  chamber.     Many 


l-'u.iui,    10.     Sialic  aiuil  i    I:'.) 


11.21 


11.36 


L    II.  30 


11.35 


11.29.0 


II.  19 
Figure  11.    Scale  6  :  7 


11.42 


II  31.6 


34  EXPLORATIOXS  IN  MOCHLOS 

of  the  gold  objects  were  crumpled  up  into  little  balls,  and  in  one  or 
two  cases  the  diadems  were  rolled  or  folded  up  in  a  sort  of  tight 
packet.  This  alone  is  enough  to  indicate  that  the  bodies  were  not 
laid  in  their  final  resting  place  covered  with  their  funeral  trappings, 
whatever  may  have  been  the  case  at  the  primary  interment.  When 
one  considers  that  the  bones  were  moved  from  one  place  to  another 
probably  some  years  after  they  were  first  interred,  it  is  remarkable 
that  so  many  offerings  still  remain. 
The  remaining  objects  from  the  tomb  are  as  follows : 

II.  38  (no  illustration).  Hollow  bone  amulet  of  cylindrical 
shape,  pierced  with  two  holes  in  the  side,  one  near  either  end  (length 
3.2  cm.,  diameter  1.2  cm.).  Similar  amulets  have  been  found  at 
Gournia,'  at  Hagia  Triada  and  at  Palaikastro. 

II.  39,  a-e  (no  illustration).  Five  strips  of  ivory  inlay  with 
oblique  grooving  (length  2.5  cm.,  width  5  mm.). 

n.  40,  f-h  (no  illustration).  Three  similar  strips  of  green 
steatite  of  the  same  dimensions.  These  strips  of  ivory  and  steatite 
must  have  been  used  as  inlay  of  some  sort,  perhaps  for  a  wooden 
casket  (for  other  such  strips  see  Fig.  43,  No.  XIX,  15). 

n.  41  (fig.  12).  Large  ivory  seal  with  palmette  design  on  one 
end  (length  3.3  cm.,  diameter  of  field  2.6  by  2  cm.).  This  seal 
had  been  broken  at  an  early  period  and  was  found  riveted  together 
by  a  bronze  peg,  which  would  tend  to  show  that  such  seals  were 
highly  prized  and  not  easily  replaced. 

II.  42  (fig.  11).  Ivory  signet  seal  with  design  of  two  cynoceph- 
alus  apes  back  to  back  (height  1.8  cm.,  diameter  of  field  1.2  cm.). 
The  design  has  an  Egyptian  look.  A  seal  of  the  same  type  was 
found  on  the  town  site  of  Mochlos  in  an  E.  M.  Ill  deposit.* 

II.  43  (fig.  12).  Dagger  blade,  probably  of  copper,  with  three 
rivet  holes  (length  6.8  cm.,  width  across  point  of  attachment  to 
handle  2.8  cm.). 

II.  44  (fig.  12) .  Large  dagger  blade,  probably  copper  (length 
12.4  cm.). 

II.  45  (fig.  12).  Dagger  blade,  probably  copper  (length  10.4  cm.). 
This  dagger  blade  had  five  rivets  and  is  curiously  scalloped  along 
the  point  of  attachment  to  the  handle. 

t  Trans..  Vol.  I,  Part  III,  p.  182,  Fig.  2.  •  A.  J.  A..  Vol.  XIII,  1909,  p.  280,  Fig.  3. 


36 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 


II.  46  (fig.  12).  Small  votive  double  axe,  probably  copper  (length 
7.5  cm.). 

II.  47,  a,  b,  c,  d  (no  illustration).  Four  objects  of  lead.  Two 
of  these  are  double  axes  like  No.  II,  46,  and  bear  some  relation  to 
two  buckle-shaped  objects  to  which  they  correspond  in  size.  Thus 
the  larger  axe  and  the  larger  buckle  are  6  cm.  in  length,  while  the 
small  axe  and  small  buckle  are  only  4  cm.  long. 


FiGUBE  13.    Scale  1 


II.  48,  a,  b,  c  (no  illustration).  Parts  of  depilatory  pincers. 
Nos.  b  and  c  were  evidently  parts  of  one  pair  formerly  set  in  a  handle 
of  some  perishable  material.  The  blades  are  of  bronze  or  copper 
(length  7.7  cm.),  a  is  half  of  a  similar  pair  in  silver  (length  4  cm.). 
For  similar  pincers  see  Figure  44,  No.  XIX,  25,  a,  b. 

II.  49  (no  illustration).  Tiny  knife  blade,  probably  copper, 
with  five  rivet  holes  for  a  handle  (length  5.6  cm.). 

II.  50  (no  illustration).  Small  cutter,  probablj'  copper,  with 
remains  of  an  ivory  handle  attached  to  the  rivets  (length  3.3  cm.). 
This  cutter  is  of  the  type  of  Figure  44,  Nos.  I,  /,  and  XIX,  29. 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  S7 

II.  51  (figs.  31,  45).  Long,  slender,  bronze  knife  blade  with  a 
raised  midrib  and  a  design  like  a  Maltese  cross  near  the  point  of 
attachment  to  hilt  (length  20.5  cm.).  This  knife  blade  was  found 
at  the  disturbed  south  end  of  the  tomb  in  the  M.  M.  Ill  level  (see 
p.  23). 

II.  52  (fig.  45).  Broad,  heavy,  bronze  knife  blade  (length  20.3 
cm.).  This  was  found  close  to  the  surface  of  the  soil  and,  from 
its  shape,  would  appear  to  belong  to  the  L.  M.  I  period. 

II.  53  (fig.  13).  Stone  color  table  (length  21  cm.,  width  16  cm., 
height  5.5  cm.).  This  was  found  in  the  soil  just  outside  the  south 
end  of  the  tomb. 

Tomb  III 

Tomb  III  is  a  large  rectangular  enclosure  built  against  the  face  of 
the  cliff  on  the  north  side  of  Tomb  I  (see  Fig.  3).  The  outer  or  west 
wall  measures  6  m.  in  length;  the  width  varies  from  3  m.  at  the  south 
to  1.70  m.  at  the  north  end  owing  to  the  outward  slope  of  the  cliff 
at  the  back.  The  size  of  the  room,  which  shows  no  sign  of  a  partition 
wall,  two  entrances  and  the  absence  of  bones  make  it  possible  that  it 
never  was  a  tomb  proper  but  merely  a  building  connected  with 
funeral  rites  of  some  sort.  Whatever  objects  may  have  been  placed 
there  in  Early  Minoan  times,  it  had  been  so  thoroughly  overhauled 
in  the  M.  M.  I  and  III  periods  that  little  remained  belonging  to  the 
early  deposit.  The  soil,  owing  to  the  slope  of  the  ledge,  was  very 
shallow,  so  that  the  contents  of  the  chamber  could  be  reached  with- 
out much  labor,  whereas  in  Tombs  I  and  II  the  depth  of  earth  suc- 
cessfully deceived  the  robbers  of  later  periods. 

The  natural  rock  of  the  floor  slopes  upward  from  south  to  north, 
and  in  the  deepest  southeast  corner  were  found  a  few  bits  of  gold 
foil  and  other  objects  which  evidently  belonged  to  either  the  E.  M.  II 
or  the  E.  M.  Ill  period.  These  are  probably  the  remains  of  an  E.  M. 
burial,  as  the  metal  work  is  of  the  same  character  as  that  found  in 
Tomb  II,  but,  as  has  been  said,  the  chamber  was  so  disturbed  in  the 
Middle  Minoan  period  that  little  can  be  stated  with  certainty.  In 
the  M.  M.  I  tombs  on  the  main  slope  very  little  gold  was  found,  and 
precious  metal  in  the  Mochlos  tombs  usually  dates  from  the  period 
of  greatest  prosperity,  which  is  undoubtedly  the  Early  Minoan. 

It  is  not  easy  to  understand  the  presence  of  M.  M.  I  and  M.  M. 
Ill  objects  in  and  near  these  big  chamber  tombs,  as  they  are  seldom 
associated  with  human  remains.     They  might  be  taken  as  evidence 


S8  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

of  a  species  of  ancestor  worship  practised  by  the  later  inhabitants 
of  Mochlos  at  the  graves  of  their  forebears.  If  such  were  the  case, 
which  is  unlikely,  the  feeling  of  veneration  did  not  prevent  the 
appropriation  of  any  objects  of  value  which  were  uncovered  in 
clearing  the  upper  parts  of  these  large  burial  chambers.  It  seems 
clear  that  robbery  was  not  the  sole  motive  of  the  curious  burrowing 
operations  carried  on  by  the  people  of  the  M.  M.  I  and  M.  M.  Ill 
periods  in  the  surface  soil  of  these  tombs,  because  the  bulk  of  the 
rich  interment  was  so  often  left  untouched.  Also,  mere  robbers 
do  not  leave  their  own  fine  weapons,  vases  and  seal  stones 
behind  them  on  the  scene  of  their  operations.  In  the  case  of 
Tomb  VI,  the  upper  part  of  the  chamber  contained  M.  M.  Ill 
objects  together  with  the  remains  of  many  bodies  (see  p.  50). 
It  is  true  that  these  Middle  Minoan  deposits  were  all  found 
in  the  surface  soil,  and  we  know  that  even  the  bones  of  the 
Early  Minoan  period,  which  were  too  deeply  buried  to  suffer  much 
from  the  infiltration  of  water,  had  been  reduced  to  powder. 
Bones  near  the  surface  constantly  soaked  by  the  winter  rains 
would  have  sufifered  even  more,  so  that  the  fact  that  few  human 
remains  were  associated  with  these  objects  does  not  preclude  the 
possibility  that  we  really  have  to  do  with  Middle  Minoan  burials 
from  which  nearly  all  human  relics  have  disappeared.  The  confused 
condition  of  these  M.  M.  deposits  might  in  some  cases  have 
been  due  to  later  plunderers,  in  others  merely  to  the  action  of 
time  and  the  movement  of  the  surface  soil  which,  on  these  steep 
slopes  in  Crete,  undergoes  great  changes  during  the  heavy  winter 
rains. 

The  following  objects  found  in  this  tomb  were  all  of  Middle 
Minoan  date  with  the  exception  of  Nos.  Ill,  e,  f,  g  and  j. 

III.  a  (fig.  46  AND  PL.  IX).  Small  bowl  and  cover  of  curious 
grey  breccia  with  spots  or  veins  of  pink  stone  edged  with  white 
(height  3  cm.,  diameter  6.8  cm.).  This  stone  recalls  a  curious 
style  of  painted  pottery  which  sometimes  occurs  in  the  M.  M.  I 
period,  on  which  an  irregular  dark  design  on  a  buff  ground  is  edged 
with  a  fine  line  of  white  paint.  It  may  be  that  this  style  was 
derived  from  breccia  vases  like  No.  Ill,  a,  since  there  is  no  doubt 
that,  in  certain  cases,  Minoan  vases  were  painted  to  imitate  stone.' 

m.  b  (fig.  46).  Bowl  of  similar  shape  of  grey  and  white  marble 
with  breccia  cover  (height  3.5  cm.,  diameter  6.5  cm.).  These  bowls- 
are  of  a  type  which  seems  never  to  occur  before  the  M.  M.  I  period 

'  /.  H.  S..  Vol.  XKVI.  1906.  PI.  VIII. 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 


and  in  every  case  where  such  bowls  have  been  found  at  Mochlos  the 
objects  associated  with  them  belonged  to  the  Middle  or  Late  Minoan 
periods. 

III.  c  (no  illustration).  Large  bowl  of  common  black  steatite 
badly  rotted  (type  of  Fig.  18,  No.  IV,  1).  This  is  a  shape  charac- 
teristic of  the  M.  M.  period. 

III.  d  (no  illustration)  .  Straight-sided  cup  of  the  same  material 
as  No.  Ill,  c  (height  5  cm.,  diameter  5.8  cm.).  This  type  is  shown 
in  Figure  32,  No.  XX,  3. 

III.  e,  f  (fig.  36).  Two  gold  sprays  of  two  leaves  each  like  those 
from  Tomb  II  (Fig.  10,  No.  II,  24). 

III.  g  (fig.  36) .  Object  of  gold  like  a  drawing  pin  or  thumb  tack 
(diameter  1.6  cm.). 

III.  h  (fig.  36).  Silver  ring,  badly  corroded,  with  cross-shaped 
design  on  the  bezel   (diameter  of  bezel   1   cm.,  diameter  of  hoop 

1.4  cm.).  This  ring  was 
found  near  the  surface  and 
cannot  be  dated. 

III.  i  (figs.  14,  36). 
Signet  seal  of  chalcedony 
of  M.  M.  Ill  date  (height 

1.5  cm.,  diameter  of  field 
1.3  cm.). 

III.  j  (fig.  36).  Ring  of 
thin  gold  with  horizontal 
tooling  (diameter  1.6  cm.,  width  of  band  7  mm.).  This  ring,  to 
judge  by  the  thinness  of  the  metal,  must  have  served  as  a  covering 
to  a  core  of  perishable  material  over  which  the  edges  of  the  metal 
were  folded  back. 

III.  k  (no  illustration).     Six  small  beads  of  red  carnelian. 

III.  I  (no  illustration).  Large  bronze  ring  badly  corroded, 
part  of  bezel  broken  away  (diameter  of  hoop  1.8  cm.). 

in.  m  (no  illustration).  Jug  in  coarse  red  clay,  unpainted, 
bearing  a  sign         ^  incised  on  the  shoulder  (height  29.5  cm., 

diameter  17.7  ^r  >  cm.).  This  vase  is  of  M.  M.  I  shape. 
The  sign  is  ^  ^^^  probably  the  owner's  mark.  A  similar 
sign  occurs  at  ^    Phylakopi.' 


in.  <  b 

Figure  14.    Scale  I  :  I  and  3  : 1 


>  Phylakopi,  p.  179,  B,  No.  12. 


40  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

III.  n  (no  illustration).  Bridge-spouted  bowl  of 
M.  M.  I  polychrome  ware,  badly  rotted,  with  narrow 
horizontal  bands  of  red  and  white  paint  between  rows 
of  alternate  red  and  white  triangles,  one  side  of  each 

of  which  has  been  extended  into  a  sort  of  stem   (height  8  cm., 

diameter  9.3  cm.). 

III.  0  (fig.  45).  Long,  slender,  bronze  knife  blade  (length 
22.5  cm.).  This  doubtless  dates  from  the  M.  M.  period,  for  it  was 
found  lying  close  to  the  rock  floor  of  the  tomb  with  M.  M.  I 
potsherds.  It  closely  resembles  Nos.  XI,  22,  and  XIII,  7n,  of 
Figure  45,  which  appear  to  be  of  M.  M.  date  (see  p.  61). 

About  fifty  yards  farther  along  the  ledge  on  which  lie  the  three 
tombs  just  described,  the  cliff  juts  inward,  forming  a  roughly  tri- 
angular space.  Against  the  northern  cliff  and  facing  southwest 
towards  Tombs  I,  II  and  III  lie  three  more  large  chamber  tombs 
side  by  side  as  shown  in  Figure  15.  These  chambers  faced  a  small 
roughly  paved  court  which,  commencing  a  little  to  the  north  of 
Tomb  III,  extended  to  the  entrances  of  the  second  group.  This 
paved  court  evidently  destroj'ed  some  earlier  graves,  inasmuch  as 
remains  of  gold  ornaments  and  sherds  of  E.  M.  I  ware  were  found 
beneath  the  pavement.  This  court  was  still  partially  clear  in  the 
M.  M.  I  and  III  periods;  a  large  jar  of  the  latter  period  was  found 
standing  close  to  the  eastern  boundary  wall  against  the  cliff,  and 
many  sherds  of  both  periods  were  scattered  about  in  the  soil  at  the 
south  end  near  Tomb  III. 

Tomb  V  lies  on  the  very  edge  of  the  cliffs  with  a  sheer  drop  of  100 
feet  to  the  sea  below.  Next  to  it  stands  No.  IV  with  well-built  door 
jambs  (Fig.  17).  No.  VI  has  no  entrance  upon  the  court,  but  was 
reached  through  No.  IV,  a  most  curious  arrangement  which  will  be 
discussed  later.  All  three  tombs  are  well  shown  in  Figure  16,  which 
is  taken  looking  north.  No.  V  is  seen  on  the  extreme  left.  No.  IV 
in  the  centre,  while  No.  VI  lies  behind  the  heavy  wall  on  the  right, 
directly  under  the  overhanging  clifiF.  These  three  tombs  were 
built  in  the  E.  M.  II  period  over  the  still  earlier  deposit  of  E.  M.  I 
pottery  which  is  described  in  connection  with  the  ware  of  that  period 
on  p.  92.  By  the  beginning  of  the  M.  M.  Ill  period  they  had 
become  partially,  if  not  entirely,  filled  with  earth.  At  that  date 
No.  IV  was  almost  entirely  cleared.  When  excavated  it  contained  a 
number  of  objects  belonging  to  the  E.  M.  Ill  and  M.  M.  Ill  periods. 
The  other  two  tombs,  Nos.  V  and  VI,  seem  to  have  remained  intact, 


Figure  15.    Plan  of  Chambeb  Toubs  IV,  V  and  VI.    Scale  aboot  1 :  100 


4S  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

although  the  former  did  not  yield  any  such  mass  of  objects  as  were 
found  in  No.  VI.  As  Nos.  IV  and  VI  seem  to  belong  together,  it 
is  best  to  deal  first  with  Tomb  V. 

Tomb  V 

This  is  a  very  narrow  chamber  5  m.  long  by  1.40  m.  in  width. 
The  outer  wall  on  the  left  lies  on  the  very  edge  of  the  precipice  (Fig. 
16).  The  great  door-slab,  which  had  slipped  from  its  original  posi- 
tion, was  lying  part  way  down  the  slope  caught  between  two  boul- 
ders, so  that  the  south  end  of  the  tomb  was  open.  The  rock  floor 
slopes  sharply  up  from  the  entrance  to  the  north  end,  where  the 
depth  of  soil  was  very  slight.  At  the  south  or  entrance  end,  where 
the  soil  was  deeper,  the  builders  of  this  group  of  tombs  had  left  a 
large  deposit  of  E.  M.  I  pottery  some  20  cm.  thick  underljang  their 
walls.  The  red  soil  of  this  deposit  made  it  quite  distinct  from  the 
white  clay  filling  of  the  tomb  chamber  so  that  no  confusion  was 
possible  between  the  two  deposits.  A  great  many  baskets  of  sherds 
were  gathered  together  from  this  early  layer,  a  full  description  of 
which  is  given  on  page  92. 

Tomb  V  showed  no  signs  of  ever  having  been  disturbed  in  later 
periods  and,  although  it  did  not  contain  any  great  number  of  objects, 
they  were  all  of  good  quality.  Judging  from  the  pottery  it  would 
appear  that  the  first  burial  dated  from  the  E.  M.  II,  the  latest  from 
the  E.  M.  Ill  period.  No  Middle  Minoan  objects  occurred  even  in 
the  surface  soil. 

The  bones,  few  of  which  were  preserved,  were  found  with  the  vases 
scattered  about  the  chamber  floor  instead  of  lying  together  in  one 
heap  as  was  usually  the  case  in  the  other  tombs.  One  small  stone 
vase  contained  a  long  strip  of  gold  foil  crumpled  up  and  crammed 
into  it  with  such  force  that  it  formed  almost  a  solid  mass  at  the  bot- 
tom. A  number  of  gold  scraps  were  lying  about  in  the  earth  filling; 
apparently  in  moving  the  bones  from  the  temporary  grave  to  the 
ossuary,  little  care  was  taken  to  prevent  the  destruction  of  the 
objects  associated  with  the  burials.  This  tomb, like  Nos.  IV  and  VI, 
is  built  with  walls  partly  formed  of  upright  slabs  and  partly  of  hori- 
zontally laid  courses  similar  to  the  house  walls  of  the  period.  The 
objects  from  this  tomb  are  as  follows: 

V.  a  (figs.  18,  19).  Large  jug  of  E.  M.  Ill  ware.  The  white 
design  on  a  dark  ground  is  one  of  the  first  examples  of  the 
spiral,  a  design  that  does  not  usually  appear  until  the  L.  M.  I  period 
(height  19.5  cm.,  diameter  16  cm.). 


FlClKE     1(>.        (UAMllKH    ToMilS    .\(  fS.    IV.    V     AND    VI 


I'll, I   UK     11.        (    liWlHIli      I'ltMH     \<i      l\ 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  43 

V.  b  (fig.  18).  Vase  of  brownish  clay  highly  burnished  (height 
11.5  cm.,  diameter  10.2  cm.).  The  dotted  pattern  is  evidently  the 
prototype  of  the  painted  design  on  the  cup  of  Figure  19,  No.  IV,  2. 
The  vase  itself  is  derived  from  a  very  primitive  model  and  must 
belong  to  the  early  part  of  the  E.  M.  II  period. 

V.  c  (fig.  18).  Small-spouted  bowl  of  alabaster  (height  2.2  cm., 
diameter  4.8  cm.). 

V,  d  (fig.  18).  Small  bowl  of  plain  green  steatite  (height  1.3  cm., 
diameter  4  cm.). 

V. «  (fig.  18).  Small  bowl  of  grey  marble  with  a  hook-shaped 
handle  (height  1.6  cm.,  diameter  5  cm.). 

v./  (fig.  18).  Little  bowl  of  grey  marble,  two  lip  handles  (height 
1.5  cm.,  diameter  3.9  cm.). 

V.  g  (fig.  18).  Pot  of  mottled  green  steatite  (height  4.5  cm., 
diameter  3.4  cm.). 

V.  h  (fig.  18).  Small  cup  of  translucent  green  steatite  (height 
2.5  cm.,  diameter  3.4  cm.), 

V.  i  (fig.  18  AND  PL.  IV).  Large  side-spouted  jug  of  alabaster. 
The  shape  and  irregularities  in  the  workmanship  point  to  an  early 
period.  It  is  probably  contemporary  with  the  burnished  vase  No. 
V,  b.  The  cutting,  which  is  very  uneven  (though  this  is  hardly 
noticeable  in  the  illustration),  would  lead  one  to  assign  this  vase  to  the 
time  when  the  art  of  stone  carving  was  still  in  its  infancy.  The  walls 
of  the  jug  are  very  thick  and  the  inside  is  only  partly  hollowed  out, 
leaving  a  thick  solid  base.  The  handles,  both  chipped  off,  were 
of  the  early  suspension  type.  This  alabaster,  which  rarely  occurs 
at  Mochlos,  has  a  peculiarly  brilHant  color  and  vivid  veining 
(height  9.8  cm.,  diameter  11.4  cm.). 

V.  j  (no  illustration).  Stone  color-table  like  that  shown  in 
Figure  13,  No.  II,  53  (length  28  cm.,  height  5.3  cm.,  width  19.5  cm.). 

V.  k  (fig.  41).  Gold  ornament  consisting  of  a  hollow  cap  of  gold 
with  four  pendant  leaves.  It  may  have  formed  the  tip  to  a  staff  or 
sceptre,  as  its  shape  precludes  any  idea  that  it  could  have  been  used 
for  personal  adornment  (diameter  of  gold  cap  2  cm.,  length  of  each 
leaf  with  stem  about  5  cm.). 

V.  I  (no  illustration).  Long  strip  of  gold  foil  found  crushed 
inside  the  small  stone  pot  of  Figure  18,  No.  V,  g  (length  23.8  cm.). 


44  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

V.  m  (no  illustration).  Object  of  lead  resembling  a  small 
rodent's  skull  (length  4.5  cm.). 

In  addition  to  these  objects  many  scraps  and  fragments  of  gold 
foil  were  found  but  none  of  them  entire. 

Tomb  IV 

This  tomb  lies  just  at  the  right  of  No.  V  (Figs.  15,  16,  17),  the 
east  wall  of  which  forms  the  west  wall  of  No.  IV.  The  doorway, 
which  has  well-built  jambs  of  flat  stones,  was  closed  by  a  great  up- 
right slab  which  was  still  in  its  original  position.  WTien  this  was 
removed  two  small  chambers  were  discovered,  lying  one  behind  the 
other,  separated  by  a  low  partition  wall.  The  first  (Fig.  15,  No.  IV, 
A)  was  2.20  m.  deep,  the  second,  B,  1.85  m.,  which  is  also  the  width  of 
the  tomb.  In  the  right  or  east  wall  of  the  inner  chamber  B  was  a 
doorway  leading  into  No.  VI.  At  some  time,  probably  in  the  E.  M. 
Ill  period,  this  doorway  connecting  No.  IV  with  No.  \1  was  walled 
up.  This  may  have  been  done  for  various  reasons.  The  chamber 
may  have  become  filled  with  bones  or  the  family  for  which  the  tomb 
was  built  may  have  died  out.  Whatever  may  have  been  the  reason, 
it  is  clear  that  No.  VI  ceased  to  be  used  as  a  place  of  burial  by  the  end 
of  the  E.  M.  II  period,  as  it  contained  no  objects  of  later  date, 
except  near  the  surface.  The  relation  of  No.  IV  and  No.  VI  (Fig. 
15)  is  curious;  it  is  possible  that,  in  the  original  scheme.  No.  IV  was 
not  intended  as  a  tomb,  but  rather  as  a  mortuary  chapel  through 
which  the  important  burial  chamber  of  No.  VI  was  reached.  As 
there  is  no  means  of  entering  No.  VI  except  by  passing  through 
No.  IV,  the  latter  can  hardly  have  been  intended  for  burial  purposes 
as  long  as  No.  VI  was  in  use.  Again,  we  know  that  No.  \T  is  of  very 
early  date  belonging  to  the  beginning  of  the  E.  M.  II  period  before 
the  introduction  of  the  mottled  ware,  whereas  the  only  early  burial 
deposit  on  the  floor  of  No.  IV  belonged  to  the  E.  M.  Ill  period.  We 
may,  therefore,  assume  that  No.  IV  was  merely  an  outer  chapel  to 
No.  VI  in  the  original  E.  M.  II  plan  of  this  tomb  group.  Later,  at 
the  end  of  this  period  or  at  the  beginning  of  the  E.  M.  Ill  age,  the 
connecting  doorway  was  walled  up,  and  a  small  partition  wall  was 
built  across  No.  IV  (well  shown  in  Fig.  17),  leaving  a  sort  of  ante- 
chamber, A,  next  the  entrance.  At  any  rate.  No.  IV  began  to  be  used 
as  a  tomb  chamber  in  the  E.  M.  Ill  period,  since  a  burial  of  this 
date  was  found  in  the  inner  compartment  B. 

No  objects  of  any  sort  were  found  on  the  floor  of  the  outer  cham- 
ber A,  but  close  against  the  partition  wall  in  B  lay  the  burial  just 


f4 
& 

o 

< 

< 


o 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  45 

mentioned.  The  deposit  consisted  of  a  few  stone  vases,  a  clay  cup, 
and  a  large  number  of  beads.  The  date  is  fixed  by  the  clay  cup 
(Figs.  18  and  19,  No.  IV,  2),  which  is  an  excellent  example  of  the 
light-on-dark  ware  of  the  E.  M.  Ill  period.  These  objects  lay  directly 
against  the  inner  face  of  the  partition  wall  and  probably  represented 
but  a  small  portion  of  the  original  contents  of  the  chamber,  inas- 
much as  parts  of  other  vases  in  alabaster  and  grey  marble  indicated 
that  several  had  been  destroyed,  probably  in  the  M.  M.  Ill  period. 
It  seems  clear  that  the  chamber  must  have  been  discovered  by  the 
M.  M.  Ill  inhabitants  of  Mochlos,  who  partially  cleared  it  for  their 
own  use.  In  the  soil  near  the  entrance  and  a  metre  above  the  floor 
level  several  unpainted  vases  and  two  knife  blades  of  this  date  were 
found.  This  M.  M.  Ill  deposit  formed  a  thick  stratum  over  almost 
the  entire  tomb  and  as  it  approached  the  rear  wall  its  depth  increased 
until  the  floor  of  the  chamber  was  reached.  At  this  point,  close  to 
the  rear  wall  of  the  tomb  and  only  10  cm.  above  the  floor,  stood  two 
large  unpainted  jars  and  a  big  bowl  of  black  steatite  of  characteristic 
M.  M.  Ill  types.  No  bones  were  found  with  these  objects  and  the 
only  thing  of  any  artistic  value  was  a  small  terra-cotta  head  (Fig.  21). 
Without  doubt  when  the  M.  M.  intruders  placed  these  vases  so  near 
the  level  of  the  earlier  burial,  a  part  of  its  contents  became  exposed 
to  their  eyes.  The  fragments  of  stone  vases  show  that  they  were 
thrown  out  as  valueless,  but  precious  metal  must  have  been  carefully 
collected.  The  only  reason  that  a  few  E.  M.  Ill  objects  escaped 
was  the  fact  that,  along  the  inner  face  of  the  partition  wall,  the 
spoilers  did  not  clear  away  the  earth  to  the  rock  floor,  thus  leav- 
ing a  portion  of  the  original  deposit  undisturbed.  Just  outside  the 
entrance  were  many  fragments  and  one  broken  vase  of  E.  M.  II 
black  burnished  ware  which  are  doubtless  remnants  of  a  deposit 
placed  in  No.  IV  when  it  served  as  an  antechamber  to  No.  VI  and 
thrown  out  in  the  E.  M.  Ill  period  when  No.  IV  was  turned  into  a 
burial  chamber. 

It  is  hard  to  decide  whether  these  tombs  were  ever  roofed  over. 
No  signs  of  slabs  or  covering  material  of  any  sort  were  found  inside 
any  one  of  the  chambers.  If  Nos.  IV  and  VI  were  always  left  open 
to  the  sky,  it  is  diflEicult  to  understand  the  complex  arrangement  of 
doorways  closed  by  great  slabs.  An  outer  mortuary  chapel  with  no 
roof,  leading  to  an  equally  open  inner  tomb  chamber,  seems  a  rather 
useless  construction.  The  walls  of  No.  IV  and  No.  VI  in  places  are 
even  now  2  to  2.50  m.  in  height,  quite  enough  to  have  allowed  plenty 
of  standing  room  inside  if  they  once  possessed  roofs.  No  doubt  the 
walls  were  still  higher  originally,  for  it  is  quite  clear  that  the  upper 


46  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

parts  of  the  walls  of  the  south  front  have  been  carried  away  in  the 
process  of  denudation,  and  no  doubt  the  north  wall  was  also  reduced 
a  course  or  two  from  the  same  cause.  It  is  not  likely  that  so  many 
gold  ornaments  and  fine  stone  vases  would  have  been  left  lying  about 
with  the  human  remains  in  an  open  chamber.  The  tombs  were 
certainly  not  filled  in  after  each  burial,  but  the  bones  of  different 
members  of  the  family  were  placed  within  as  the  deaths  occurred, 
probably  with  intervals  of  some  years  between  successive  interments. 
Again,  the  objects  show  no  signs  of  long  exposure  to  the  weather, 
which  they  would  do  had  the  chambers  remained  open  to  the 
sky.  If  after  each  burial  a  layer  of  earth  had  been  thrown  in,  one 
could  understand  the  possibility  of  an  open  tomb.  The  evidence, 
however,  precludes  this  idea,  inasmuch  as  the  bones  lay  in  more  or 
less  solid  masses  with  no  layers  of  earth  separating  the  various 
interments.  The  fact  that  no  trace  of  roofing  material  came  to 
light  inside  these  chambers  is  no  argument  against  the  existence  of 
roofs,  since  in  the  M.  M.  Ill  period  such  remains  might  have  been 
thrown  out  when  the  tombs  were  partially  cleared.  At  the  back 
of  No.  IV,  between  the  rear  wall  of  the  tomb  and  the  cliff  behind, 
were  the  pieces  of  several  stone  vases  which  belonged  to  fragmen- 
tary vessels  found  in  the  tomb  itself.  These  fragments,  usually 
associated  with  M.  M.  Ill  potsherds,  were  nevertheless  of  early  manu- 
facture and  represented  a  part  of  the  original  tomb  deposit  which  was 
thrown  out  in  the  M.  M.  Ill  period.  With  these  fragments  were 
numerous  pieces  of  white  plaster,  smooth  on  one  side  and  showing 
the  impress  of  reeds  on  the  other.  These  pieces  of  plaster  may  have 
formed  part  of  the  roofing  of  these  chamber  tombs.  The  roofs  must 
have  collapsed  in  the  interval  between  the  last  E.  M.  Ill  burials  and 
the  beginning  of  the  M.  M.  Ill  epoch.  If  the  tombs  had  still  been 
intact  in  the  M.  M.  Ill  period,  it  is  doubtful  if  any  of  the  original 
contents  would  have  escaped  untouched,  since  the  robbers  would 
have  entered  by  the  door  and  cleared  the  chambers  of  every  object 
of  value.  Luckily  the  fallen  roofs  and  the  earth  washed  down  from 
the  slopes  above  had  filled  all  the  tombs  with  a  deep  layer  of  debris 
which  effectually  concealed  the  greater  part  of  their  rich  contents. 
Without  doubt  the  heavy  wall  of  the  south  front  was  still  clearly 
visible  in  the  M.  M.  Ill  period,  and  this  probably  led  to  their  being 
once  more  brought  into  use. 

Before  turning  to  the  objects  discovered  in  this  tomb,  one  more 
fact  must  be  discussed.  Tomb  IV  as  it  existed  in  the  E.  M.  Ill 
period  had  the  general  arrangement  supposed  to  be  common  to  the 
primitive  house  in  the  Aegean.     It  consists  of  a  long  narrow  building 


IV.  '2 


V.  a 

FiiiiKK    li).     ScAi.K  '2  :  :!  AM)   1  :  i 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  47 

with  a  doorway  in  the  centre  of  one  of  the  narrow  ends,  leading  first 
to  an  anteroom  with  an  inner  chamber  behind.  An  argument  has 
been  put  forward,  based  on  a  curious  circular  building  found  by 
Dr.  Xanthoudides  at  Chamaizi,  that  the  dwelling  houses  of  the  early 
periods  in  Crete  were  derived  from  a  circular  model  which  was  grad- 
ually transformed  into  a  rectangular  one.^  This  theory,  however, 
is  unsupported  by  the  evidence  yielded  by  excavations  at  Vasiliki, 
Pseira,  Mochlos  and  elsewhere  in  Eastern  Crete.  At  Vasiliki,  where 
we  have  the  largest  and  best  preserved  E.  M.  II  house  yet  known  in 
Crete,  there  was  no  trace  of  the  circular  form,  and  in  the  underlying 
foundations,  which  belonged  to  houses  of  still  earlier  date,  only  rec- 
tangular rooms  were  brought  to  light.  Moreover,  certain  deeply 
buried  walls  on  the  town  site  of  Mochlos,  dating  from  so  remote  an 
era  as  the  E.  M.  I  period,  belonged  to  rectangular  rooms.  To  this 
evidence  is  now  added  that  of  the  Mochlos  tombs.  In  all  proba- 
bility they  give  the  type  of  dwelling  common  to  the  primitive  inhab- 
itants of  Eastern  Crete;  the  circular  form  of  building  at  Chamaizi 
must  have  been  determined  by  the  nature  of  its  position  on  a  hilltop, 
where  an  elliptical  house  gave  a  greater  floor  space  with  less  masonry 
than  would  have  been  possible  if  a  rectangular  form  had  been 
adopted.' 

The  objects  from  Tomb  IV  are  as  follows: 

IV.  1  (fig.  18).  Large  bowl  of  black  steatite  (height  12.5  cm., 
diameter  29  cm.).  This  bowl  comes  from  the  M.  M.  Ill  deposit 
and  is  of  a  shape  which  never  appears  before  the  M.  M.  I  period. 

rV.  2  (figs.  18,  19).  Clay  cup  of  E.  M.  Ill  light-on-dark  geomet- 
ric ware.  The  design  is  very  characteristic  of  the  period  (height 
8.2  cm.,  diameter  10.9  cm.).  From  the  evidence  of  vases  found  at 
Pseira  and  on  the  Mochlos  town  site,  the  shape  of  this  cup  would 
tend  to  place  it  toward  the  end  of  the  E.  M.  Ill  period,  although 
the  design  looks  earlier. 

IV.  3  (fig.  18).  Small  vase  of  translucent  green  steatite  which, 
in  shape,  recalls  the  clay  "egg-cups"  of  the  E.  M.  II  mottled 
ware  (height  5  cm.,  diameter  3  cm.). 

IV.  4  (fig.  18).  Large  shallow  bowl  of  grey  and  white  marble 
(height  5.7  cm.,  diameter  21.7  cm.).  A  few  pieces  of  this  bowl 
were  found  in  the  antechamber,  but   most   of  the  fragments  had 

'  Noack,  Ovalhaua  und  Palasl,  pp.  51-70. 

>The  question  of  the  primitive  house  in  the  Aegean  has  been  most  ably  discussed  by  Dr. 
Duncan  Mackenzie  {D.  S.  A.,  Vol.  XIV,  p.  343),  who  makes  it  clear  that  all  evidence  points, 
at  present,  to  a  rectangular  form  for  the  houses  of  primitive  Crete  and  the  Aegean  in  general. 


48  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCIILOS 

been  thrown  out  with  the  soil  when  the  tomb  was  partially  cleared 
in  the  M.  M.  Ill  period  and  were  found  lying  between  its  north 
wall  and  the  cliff  behind. 

IV.  5  (fig.  18).  Small  bowl  of  similar  shape  and  material  (height 
4  cm.,  diameter  8.5  cm.). 

IV.  6  (fig.  18  AND  PL.  VII).  Bowl  of  mottled  green  steatite  with 
pierced  suspension  handles.  This  is  the  largest  example  of  this 
rare  stone  found  at  Mochlos  (height  5.4  cm.,  diameter  8  cm.). 
The  walls  of  this  vase  are  very  thin  and  the  whole  vessel  is  beau- 
tifully cut  and  polished.  It  is  of  an  early  shape  derived  from 
E.  M.  II  bowls  of  black  burnished  ware  like  that  shown  in  Figure 
50,  No.  87. 

IV.  7  (fig.  20).  Chalcedony  pigeon  vertically  pierced  through 
the  body  for  use  as  a  pendant  (height  2  cm.).  Two  similar  pigeons 
were  found  in  graves  at  Siphnos,  one  of  which  contained  the  silver  dia- 
dem mentioned  in  connection  with  Tomb  II  (see  p.  27).' 

IV.  8  (fig.  20).  Small  boss  of  gold,  two  holes  on  either  side  for 
attachment  (diameter  1.2  cm.). 

rV.  9  (fig.  20).  Rosette  of  shell,  without  doubt  a  pin  head  like 
those  of  the  gold  pins  from  Tomb  XIX  in  Figure  42,  No.  XIX,  11 
(diameter  2.2  cm.). 

IV.  10  (fig.  20).  Top  of  the  spiral  core  of  a  conch  shell  cut  out 
to  form  the  bezel  of  a  ring  (diameter  1.4  cm.).  Such  shell  objects 
often  occur  in  Minoan  deposits  and  probably  had  some  special 
significance,  perhaps  as  amulets. 

IV.  11  (fig.  20).  Necklace  of  gold,  crystal  and  irregular  stone 
beads.  The  gold  beads,  five  in  number,  are  cylindrical  and  of 
small  size.  The  six  rock  crystal  beads  are  exactly  like  some  from 
Tomb  VI  (Fig.  25,  No.  VI,  34),  and  may  have  been  dropped  in 
No.  IV  at  the  time  when  the  E.  M.  II  interments  were  carried  into 
Tomb  VI  tlirough  this  chamber.  The  irregular  beads  of  steatite 
and  breccia  are  quite  unlike  any  others  from  the  Mochlos  cemetery 
and  certainly  have  a  very  early  look.  In  the  middle  of  the  right 
half  of  this  necklace  is  a  grooved  bead  of  porcelain  which  is  of  much 
later  date,  probably  M.  M.  III. 

IV.  12  (fig.  20).  Shell  matrix  like  No.  IV,  10,  but  smaller  (diam- 
eter 1  cm.). 

«'£»>.  'Ap/.,  1899,  PI.  10,  No3.  27,  28;  ibid.,  1898,  PI.  8,  Nos.  16,  17,  23. 


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EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCIILOS 


49 


IV.  13  (fig.  20).     Shell  rosette  similar  to  No.  IV,  9  (diameter 
2.5  cm.). 

IV.  14  (fig.  20).     Gold  chain  with  leaf  pendant  (length  5  cm.). 
This  chain  is  like  those  from  Tomb  II  (Fig.  10,  Nos.  II,  30,  35,  36). 


IV.  15  (FIG.  20). 
(diameter  2.2  cm.). 


Round  pebble  pierced  for  use  as  a  pendant 


IV.  16  (figs.  20,  21).  Small  terra-cotta  head  which  has  been 
mentioned  as  belonging  to  the  M.  M.  Ill  period.  The  workman- 
ship is  excellent  and  may  well  be  compared  to  that  of  the  Snake 
Goddess  and  the  Votary  from  Knossos,*  with  which  it  is  roughly 
contemporary.  It  would  appear  to  be  a  male  head  were  it  not 
covered  with  a  white  wash,  traces  of  which  still  remain.     The 


IV.  16 
Figure  21.    Scale  1  :  1 


Minoans  are  supposed  always  to  have  followed  the  Egyptian  con- 
vention of  coloring  men  red  and  women  white,  in  which  case  we 
must  consider  this  head  as  that  of  a  woman.  The  hair,  which 
appears  to  be  in  thick  locks  on  the  top  of  the  head,  is  gathered  inside 
a  tight  roll  or  turban  similar  to  that  worn  by  the  Votary  from  the 
Knossos  shrine  and  by  the  men  on  the  Hagia  Triada  vase.^  The 
features  are  very  clearly  marked,  the  nose  slightly  aquiline  (height 
from  break  in  neck  to  crown  of  head  4  cm.).  The  head  was  found 
with  the  two  following  knife  blades. 

IV.  17  (fig.  45).     Bronze  knife  blade.     This  shape  closely  resem- 
bles that  of  certain  short  M.  M.  I  knife  blades  (length  14.3  cm.). 

IV.  18  (fig.  45).     Curious  bronze  knife  blade  of  almost  oval  shape 
(length  15.5  cm.).     This  blade  was  found  together  with  the  preced- 


'  B.  S.  A..  Vol.  IX,  p.  75,  Fig.  Sia&ib;  iHd.,  p.  77,  Fig.  56,  o  &  6. 
•  A/on.  Ant..  Vol.  XIII,  Plates  I,  II  and  III. 


50  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

ing  a  metre  above  the  floor  of  the  antechamber.  It  shows  no 
trace  of  the  early  triangular  shape  which  can  still  be  observed 
in  the  case  of  No.  IV,  17,  and  without  doubt  belongs  to  the 
M.  M.  Ill  period. 

IV.  19,  20  (no  illustration).  Two  large  unpainted  jars  of  M. 
M.  Ill  date  (height  38.5  cm.,  diameter  30  cm.). 

IV.  21  (no  illustration).  Large  M.  M.  Ill  clay  bowl  shaped 
like  a  modern  flower  pot.  It  is  unpainted  (height  11  cm.,  diam- 
eter 20  cm.). 

Tomb  VI 

This  tomb  seems  to  have  been  the  oldest  in  the  cemetery  of  Moch- 
los  and  also  to  have  suflFered  least  at  the  hands  of  later  intruders. 
Although  the  upper  part  of  the  chamber  contained  some  remains  of 
the  M.  M.  Ill  age,  the  people  of  that  period  never  cut  deep  enough 
to  disturb  the  bulk  of  the  original  interments.  In  fact  the  fragments 
of  M.  M.  Ill  pottery  which  lay  deepest  were  still  nearly  50  cm.  above 
the  rock  floor  of  the  tomb. 

The  chamber  measures  3.90  m.  in  length  and  1.80  m.  in  width. 
The  depth  from  the  top  of  the  wall  to  the  deepest  part  of  the  burial 
deposit  is  3.85  m.  The  only  doorway,  as  has  been  said  (p.  40),  led 
into  Tomb  IV  (Fig.  15). 

The  objects  were  all  found,  mixed  with  a  confused  mass  of  bones, 
lying  on  the  uneven  rock  floor.  At  the  north  end,  as  in  Tomb  II,  a 
deep  cavity  was  revealed,  containing  a  quantity  of  beads,  vases  and 
small  objects  of  various  sorts.  The  pottery  on  the  floor  of  the  tomb 
and  from  the  50  cm.  of  soil  immediately  above  it  is  all  of  E.  M.  II 
date  and  belongs  to  the  first  part  of  that  period,  when  the  grey  sub- 
neolithic  clays  and  the  buff  polished  wares  which  preceded  the 
mottled  fabrics  were  still  in  use. 

The  east  wall,  which  was  built  against  the  cliff,  had  fallen  for- 
ward into  the  chamber  at  an  early  date,  covering  the  burial  deposit 
with  a  thick  layer  of  fallen  stones.  In  the  M.  M.  period  this 
fallen  wall  was  partly  rebuilt.  In  laying  the  new  foundation  the 
builders  did  not  go  deep  enough  to  find  the  top  of  the  original  wall 
but  placed  the  new  one  somewhat  farther  forward,  thus  making  the 
tomb  chamber  much  narrower.  It  is  certain  that  we  owe  the  preser- 
vation of  the  original  tomb  deposit  to  this  fallen  wall  since  it  baflSed 
the  people  of  the  M.  M.  period,  who  never  attempted  to  carry 
their  curious  burrowing  operations  through  this  layer  of  fallen 
debris.     This  tomb  is  the  only  one  of  the  six  in  which  the  M.  M. 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  51 

level  contained  human  remains  in  any  marked  quantity.  All  the 
upper  soil  of  the  chamber  was  filled  with  the  badly  disintegrated 
bones  of  many  bodies,  and  it  is  evident  that  the  people  of  the  M.  M. 
period  rebuilt  the  fallen  east  wall  of  the  chamber  with  the  express 
purpose  of  using  the  enclosure  as  a  place  of  burial.  Oddly  enough 
no  objects  of  any  value  came  to  light  in  this  stratum.  The  question 
of  date  was  settled  by  a  large  number  of  potsherds  of  poor  quality 
belonging  to  the  M.  M.  Ill  and  L.  M.  I  periods.  Unlike  Tombs 
I,  II,  III  and  IV,  this  tomb  contained  in  the  M.  M.  stratum  only 
one  whole  vase  and  no  knife  blades  or  seal  stones,  which  would  tend 
to  show  that  the  remains  were  those  of  people  of  poor  condition. 

Luckily  the  early  deposit  is  of  a  very  different  character,  and  its 
richness  is  a  strong  indication  that  we  have  here  the  burial  place  of  a 
wealthy  and  powerful  family,  a  fact  that  is  borne  out,  as  has  been 
said,  by  the  architectural  features  of  this  tomb,  which  faced  on  a 
paved  court  and  was  entered  through  a  sort  of  mortuary  chapel. 

The  vases  from  this  tomb  are  twenty-two  in  number,  six  of  which 
are  of  clay,  one  of  silver,  one  of  porcelain,  and  the  rest  of  stone. 

VT.  1  (fig.  22  AND  PL.  V).  Side-spouted  jug  of  grey  and  white 
marble,  a  shape  characteristic  of  the  E.  M.  II  period  (height  6  cm., 
diameter  7.5  cm.). 

VI.  2  (fig.  22  AND  PL.  V).  Large  alabaster  jug.  This  is  the  finest 
and  largest  piece  of  alabaster  from  the  entire  cemetery  (height  12 
cm.,  diameter  10.5  cm.).  The  coloring  is  very  brilliant,  shading 
from  orange  to  pink  and  white.  The  alabaster  is  quite  unlike  that 
of  Egypt  and  seems  to  be  a  local  variety  peculiar  to  Crete;  nowhere 
else  have  I  seen  a  material  of  such  marked  veining  and  varied 
coloring. 

VI.  3  (fig.  22  AND  PL.  VT).  Vessel  of  grey  and  white  marble 
resembling  a  modern  sauce-boat  (height  6  cm.,  length  18  cm.). 
This  shape  is  unusual;  the  only  other  example  is  represented  by 
pari  of  the  side  of  a  large  specimen  found  in  this  same  tomb. 
Three  boat-shaped  clay  dishes  of  the  E.  M.  II  and  E.  M.  Ill  periods 
found  at  Vasiliki  appear  to  be  modifications  of  this  type  of  vessel.' 
A  similar  one  also  of  clay  was  found  at  Syros,=  and  another  very 
early  example  is  from  Gournia.' 

VI.  4  (fig.  22).  Jug  and  cover  of  breccia,  poorly  worked  (height 
6  cm.,  diameter  6.5  cm.). 

1  Traru.,  Vol.  II,  Part  2,  p.  122,  Fig.  5.         •  '£y.  'Ap/-,  1899.  PI-  9,  No.  8. 
•  Goumia,  p.  66,  Fig.  87,  No.  1. 


£2  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

YL.  5  (fig.  22  AND  PL.  VI).  Small  bowl  of  grey  and  white  marble 
with  four  rim  handles  (height  1  cm.,  diameter  2.8  cm.). 

VI.  6  (figs.  22,  23).  Round-bodied  cup  of  buff  clay  with  a  design 
of  festoons  in  dark  paint  around  the  rim  (height  7.5  cm.,  diameter 
10.8  cm.).  This  shape,  which  first  appears  in  the  early  part  of  the 
E.  M.  II  period  is  one  that  lives  on  into  the  E.  M.  Ill  period. 

VI.  7  (fig.  22  AND  PL.  VI).  Small  bowl  of  grey  and  white  marble 
(height  1.7  cm.,  diameter  2.9  cm.). 

VI.  8  (fig.  22).  Small  silver  cup  with  rows  of  beading  around  the 
lower  half  (height  3.2  cm.,  diameter  5.6  cm.).  In  shape  this  cup  is 
the  metal  prototype  of  the  E.  M.  Ill  cups  from  Vasiliki,  Pseira  and 
other  early  sites  near  the  Isthmus  of  Hierapetra.* 

VI.  9  (fig.  22  AND  PL.  V).  Little  pot  of  opaque  green  steatite 
(height  3.6  cm.,  diameter  4  cm.) 

VI.  10  (fig.  22  AND  PL.  VI).  Low  bowl  of  green  steatite  (height 
3.5  cm.,  diameter  10.5  cm.). 

VI.  11  (figs.  22,  23).  Goblet  of  very  fine  grey  clay  highly  pol- 
ished (height  14.8  cm.,  diameter  12.5  cm.).  This  grey  clay  is 
peculiar  to  the  first  part  of  the  E.  M.  II  period.  The  shape  is 
derived  from  an  E.  M.  I  type  and  may  go  back  still  earlier;  the  spout 
is  a  variant  from  the  usual  unspouted  type. 

VI.  12  (fig.  22  AND  PL.  VI).  Small  bowl  in  grey  and  white  marble 
with  rim  spout  (height  1.3  cm.,  diameter  3.8  cm.). 

VI.  13  (fig.  22  AND  PL.  V).  Grey  and  white  marble  vase  on  foot 
(height  5.3  cm.,  diameter  3  cm.). 

VI.  14  (fig.  22  AND  PL.  VT).  Jug  and  cover  of  grey  and  white 
marble  (height  4.5  cm.,  diameter  6.3  cm.). 

VI.  15  (figs.  22,  23).  Globular  jug  of  polished  buff  clay  (height 
12.2  cm.,  diameter  11.1  cm.).  This  shape  is  probably  derived  from 
gourds,  which  filled  the  place  of  clay  vessels  in  the  earliest  periods. 
Similar  jugs  have  occurred  in  the  Cyclades.' 

VI.  16  (fig.  22  AND  PL.  VII).  Bowl  of  grey  and  white  marble 
(height  4.5  cm.,  diameter  11  cm.).  The  veining  of  this  material 
varies  greatly  in  the  different  examples  (see  Fig.  7,  Nos.  II,  /,  g.) 

>  Trant..  Vol.  II,  Part  2,  p.  141,  Fig.  4.  •'£?•.  'Ap^.,  1898,  PI.  9,  No.  26. 


D 
O 


Ed 


VI.  11 


VI.  15 


VI.  6 


FiouBE  23.    ScvLE  1  :  2 


54 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 


VI.  17  (fig.  22  AND  PL.  YLI).  Bowl  of  grey  and  white  marble 
with  rim  spout  and  one  small  handle  at  right  angle  to  it  (height  7 
cm.,  diameter  12  cm.).  This  b  a  shape  which  becomes  very  common 
in  the  clay  vases  of  the  E.  M.  Ill  period  and  rio  doubt  existed  at  a 
very  early  date.'  It  must  be  noticed  how  carefully  the  stone  cutter 
chose  a  shape  to  suit  the  piece  of  stone  with  which  he  had  to  work,  or 
vice  vers'a.  This  is  especially  marked  in  vases  such  as  this  one,  also 
in  Nos.  VI,  1,  2  and  3,  in  which  the  natural  veining  of  the  stone  is 
carefully  employed  in  such  a  way  as  to  accentuate  the  form  of  the 
vase  itself.  In  this  vase.  No.  17,  the  dark  band  around  the  rim  is  as 
even  as  in  a  painted  vessel. 

VI.  18  (fig.  22).  Jug  of  grey  and  white  marble,  with  handle  at 
right  angle  to  spout  (height  6.4  cm.,  diameter  6  cm.). 

VI.  19  (no  illustration).  Jug  like  No.  15  but  badly  rotted 
(height  15.5  cm.,  diameter  13.2  cm.). 


a  VI.  26  b 

FiouBE  24.    Scale  1  :  1 

VI.  20  (no  illustRjvtion).  Similar  jug,  not  so  round  bodied,  dark 
paint  on  spout  and  handle  (height  12.3  cm.,  diameter  9.4  cm.). 

VI.  21  (fig.  49,  No.  70).  Small  buff  M.  M.  I  jug  found  near  sur- 
face; dark  design  in  vertical  panels,  much  worn  (height  7.8  cm., 
diameter  6.6  cm.). 

VI.  22  (no  illustration).  Porcelain  bowl  so  badly  rotted  that 
it  was  impossible  to  preserve  it. 

The  small  objects  from  this  tomb  are  as  follows: 
VI.  23  (fig.  25).     Tiny  bronze  lion  (length  2.3  cm.). 

VI.  24  (fig.  25).  Pendant  from  gold  chain  like  chain  and  pendant 
from  Tomb  II,  Figure  11,  No.  II,  36  (length  1.3  cm.), 

VI.  25  a,  b  (fig.  25).  Two  tiny  ball  pendants  of  silver  possibly 
from  earrings  (length  1.3  cm.). 

>  Trans.,  Vol.  II.  Part  2,  p.  123,  Fig.  6. 


Kldl   l(K    -i,).       SlALK    AllllUT    i  :  .1 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  55 

VI.  26  (figs.  24,  25).  Large  ivory  cylinder  with  complex  designs 
on  either  end.  This  seal  is  fully  described  on  page  108  (length  1.8 
cm.,  diameter  of  field  2.5  to  2.6  cm.). 

VI.  27  (fig.  25).  Short  necklace  of  gold  and  rock  crystal  beads. 
The  three  large  gold  beads  in  the  centre  of  the  string  must  have 
possessed  a  core  of  perishable  material  as  the  metal  is  too  thin  to 
have  kept  its  shape  without  support.  The  tubular  gold  beads  are 
identical  with  those  found  in  Tomb  IV,  Figure  20,  No.  IV,  11 
(length  15  cm.). 

VI.  28  (fig.  25).  Animal  mask  of  gold  leaf,  probably  meant  to 
cover  a  lion's  head  of  wood  or  porcelain  (width  3  cm.). 

VI.  29  (fig.  25).  Small  copper  cutter  with  bit  of  ivory  hilt  still 
adhering  to  the  rivets  (length  3.4  cm.). 

VI.  30  a,  b  (fig.  25).  Part  of  a  curious  ivory  object  which  had 
once  been  attached  to  some  other  substance  by  means  of  numerous 
small  rivets  (width  of  a,  3  cm.,  length  3  cm.;  width  of  b,  2.5  cm., 
length  2.5  cm.). 

VI.  31  a,  b  (fig.  25).  Two  very  fine  double-link  gold  chains  with 
leaf  pendants  (length  of  a,  11.5  cm.;  length  of  b,  10.5  cm.).  These 
two  chains  are  among  the  most  delicate  pieces  of  metal  work 
found  at  Mochlos. 

VI.  32  (fig.  25).  Triangular  piece  of  thin  gold  foil  (length  6  cm., 
width  2  cm.). 

VI.  33,  34  (fig.  25).  Two  long  necklaces  of  rock  crystal  beads, 
each  with  a  large  central  pebble  of  the  same  material  (No.  33,  length 
44  cm.;  No.  34,  length  50  cm.). 

VI.  35  (fig.  25).  Still  longer  necklace  of  very  small  beads  of 
stone,  porcelain  and  shell  (length  60  cm.).  These  beads  bear  a  close 
resemblance  to  the  common  porcelain  beads  of  Egypt.  The  appear- 
ance of  porcelain  both  for  beads  and  vases  in  this  tomb  is  very 
interesting  as  it  shows  that  porcelain  was  already  known  to  the 
Minoans  as  early  as  the  E.  M.  II  period. 

VI.  36  (no  illustration).  Large  disk  of  thin  gold  with  dotted 
border,  badly  torn  and  crumpled  (diameter  about  15  cm.).  This 
disk  was  found  between  the  M.  M.  Ill  east  wall  of  No.  VI  and  the 
cliff,  together  with  the  fragments  of  a  couple  of  fine  stone  vases.  It 
would  appear  to  have  been  thrown  out  with  the  soil  when  the  upper 
part  of  No.  VI  was  cleared  in  the  M.  M.  Ill  period.     If  of  late  date, 


56  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

it  might  have  served  as  a  central  boss  on  a  shield,  but  so  far  there  is 
no  evidence  to  show  that  shields  were  in  use  in  these  early  periods. 
From  the  style  of  the  work  and  the  border  of  dots  it  would  seem  to 
belong,  with  the  rest  of  the  contents  of  Tomb  VI,  to  the  E.  M.  II 
epoch. 

This  tomb,  unlike  the  other  large  chamber  tombs,  contained  no 
weapons  in  either  the  E.  M.  II  or  M.  M.  Ill  levels;  the  only  remain- 
ing objects  were  shapeless  fragments  or  scraps  of  gold  foil. 

THE   SMALLER   TOMBS 

These  tombs,  where  they  possess  built  walls,  are  always  of  about 
the  same  size,  viz.  1  m.  wide  by  2  m.  long.  Therefore  I  have  given 
no  dimensions  in  describing  them  except  in  cases  which  are  marked 
exceptions  to  this  rule. 

Tomb  VII 

Among  the  large  masses  of  fallen  rock  lying  a  little  below  and  to  the 
south  of  Tomb  II,  a  rock-shelter  was  discovered.  A  fissure  running 
between  two  large  boulders  had  been  walled  in  at  the  southern  end, 
and  on  clearing  away  the  earth  a  few  bones  and  the  vases  described 
below  were  brought  to  light.  There  is  little  clue  to  the  date  of  this 
burial,  but  the  presence  of  a  bowl  in  black  steatite  probably  indicates 
the  end  of  the  E.  M.  Ill  or  the  beginning  of  the  M.  M.  I  epoch, 
inasmuch  as  black  steatite  for  large  vessels  rarely  occurs  before 
these  periods. 

VII.  a  (fig.  46).  Cup  and  cover  of  white  alabaster  (height  7.2  cm., 
diameter  9.5  cm.).  Vases  of  this  material  were  very  rare;  the  other 
two  examples  from  Mochlos  appear,  from  their  shape,  to  be  of 
Cycladic  origin  (Fig.  47,  No.  12,  and  PI.  Ill,  No.  XXI,  10).  This  cup 
and  cover,  as  regards  shape,  might  as  well  be  Cretan  as  Cycladic. 

VII.  b  (no  illustration).  Deep  bowl  of  black  steatite  with  solid 
rim  handles.  The  stone  was  badly  rotted  and  the  greater  part 
crumbled  away  as  soon  as  it  was  uncovered  (type  of  Fig.  18,  No. 
IV,  1). 

VII.  c  (fig.  26).  Bronze  bowl  with  horizontal  handle  on  rim 
(height  8.8  cm.,  diameter  22  cm.).  This  bowl  has  a  verj'^  early  look, 
although  I  know  of  no  similar  vessel  from  any  other  site.  Such 
metal  vessels  must  have  been  rare  in  the  E.  M.  Ill  age,  but  the 
alabaster  cup  which  was  found  with  it  would  lead  one  to  assign  it  to 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  57 

this  rather  than  to  the  M.  M.  I  period.  It  is  probably  safer  to 
regard  this  interment  as  belonging  to  the  transitional  stage  between 
the  E.  M.  Ill  and  M.  M.  I  periods.  Unfortunately  no  pottery,  the 
only  sure  means  of  determining  the  date,  was  found  in  this  grave. 

VII.  d  (no  illustration).     Small  amethyst  bead. 

Tomb  VIII 

This  burial  was  placed  in  a  natural  hole  in  the  rocks  and,  as  it 
contained  a  great  many  bones  with  only  four  vases,  probably 
belonged  to  people  of  poor  condition. 

VIII.  a  (fig.  46).  Small  bowl  of  green  steatite  with  slender  spout 
and  rim  handle  (height  2.3  cm.,  diameter  6.8  cm.). 

Vni.  b  (fig.  50,  No.  85).  "Egg-cup"  of  black  ware  with  slight 
rim  spout  (height  9.4  cm.,  diameter  9.2  cm.). 

VIII.  c  (no  illustration).  Similar  "egg-cup"  covered  with  black 
paint,  band  of  white  around  the  rim.  This  is  interesting  as  it  shows 
that  the  "egg-cup"  of  the  E.  M.  II  lived  on  into  the  E.  M.  Ill 
period,  to  which  this  example  belongs  (height  8.2  cm.,  diameter 
8.7  cm.). 

VIII.  d  (no  illustration).  Side-spouted  jug  of  coarse  red  clay, 
unburnished,  with  two  horizontal  side  handles  and  a  small  pinched 
out  handle  opposite  the  spout  (height  12  cm.,  diameter  15.3  cm.). 
This  jug  originally  stood  on  three  small  feet  which  have  been  broken 
away.     In  type  it  resembles  No.  67  of  Figure  49. 

VIII.  e  (no  illustration).  E.  M.  II  side-spouted  jug  in  coarse 
browTi  ware,  type  of  Figure  48,  No.  43  (height  14.9  cm.,  diameter 
15.2  cm.). 

Tomb  IX 

This  is  a  slab-lined  tomb  which  contained  nothing  but  some  M.  M. 
I  and  M,  M.  Ill  potsherds. 

Tomb  X 

This  is  another  slab-lined  tomb  lying  beside  No.  IX.  It  contained 
the  much  corroded  remains  of  two  small  bronze  cups  and  four 
seal  stones  which  certainly  date  from  the  M.  M.  or  even  the 
L.  M.  I  period.     Bronze  vessels  seem  usually  to  indicate  either  one 


58 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 


or  the  other  of  these  two  periods,  for  they  seldom  appear  before 
the  M.  M.  Ill  age,  although  the  bronze  bowl  from  Tomb  VII  is  an 
exception  to  this  rule.  These  specimens  were  so  corroded  that  it 
was  impossible  to  ascertain  even  their  dimensions.  Both  these 
tombs  appear  to  have  been  plundered  in  the  M.  M.  period,  inasmuch 
as  their  type  of  construction  is  of  much  earlier  date  (E.  M.  II  or  III) 
than  any  objects  which  they  contained. 

X.  a  (fig.  27).  Three-sided  seal  of  green  steatite  of  M.  M.  I  date 
(length  1.2  cm.). 

X.  b  (fig.  27).  Signet  seal  of  chalcedony  representing  a  demon- 
like creature  (diameter  of  field  1  cm.).  This  seal  is  probably  of 
M.  M.  Ill  date. 


iS^i 


Xa 


X.b 


Figure  27.    Scale  1  :  1  and  3  :  1 


X.  c  (no  illustration).  Lentoid  seal  of  black  steatite  cut  with 
a  design  of  conventional  double  axe  (diameter  of  field  2  cm.). 

X.  d  (no  illustration).  Lentoid  seal  of  black  steatite  engraved 
with  design  of  two  insects  resembling  dragon-flies  (diameter  of  field 
1.3  cm.).     These  two  seals  are  probably  of  L.  M.  I  date. 


Tomb  XI 

This  was  the  only  M.  M.  I  tomb  which  yielded  objects  of  any 
importance.  It  is  an  enclosure  2  m.  square  with  low  walls  built  of 
small  stones.  Apparently  there  was  no  doorway,  but  at  one  point 
the  wall  had  given  way  owing  to  pressure  from  the  soil  above. 
The  most  noticeable  fact  which  differentiates  this  M.  M.  I  tomb 
from  those  of  the  E.  M.  II  and  E.  M.  Ill  periods  was  the  great 
number  of  black  steatite  vases  and  the  paucity  of  early  vessels  of 
briUiantly  colored  stones.     Again,  the  absence  of  gold  ornaments 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  59 

of  any  sort  distinguishes  these  M.  M.  tombs  from  those  of  the  E.  M. 
period,  which  almost  always  contained  a  certain  amount  of  this 
metal.  In  No.  XI  several  earlier  objects  were  found  which  seem 
to  belong  to  the  E.  M.  II  period.  It  seems  clear,  therefore,  that 
we  have  here  an  early  tomb  opened  and  used  again  in  the  M.  M.  I 
period.  Thus  the  few  vases  of  marble  and  alabaster,  together  with 
two  clay  vessels  of  the  E.  M.  II  period,  would  be  referable  to  a 
burial  of  that  date,  whereas  the  black  steatite  and  polychrome  vases 
belong  to  the  M.  M.  I  interment.  As  these  M.  M.  I  objects  lay 
together  along  the  east  side  of  the  tomb  and  those  of  the  E.  M.  II 
period  in  a  heap  in  the  northwest  corner,  it  was  not  difficult  to  dis- 
tinguish between  the  two  interments. 

The  objects  from  this  tomb  are  as  follows  (the  first  nine  vases 
belong  to  the  E.  M.  burial): 

XI.  1  (fig.  28).  Small  bowl  of  grey  and  white  marble,  with  a 
rim  spout  and  three  rim  handles  (height  2  cm.,  diameter  5  cm.). 

XI.  2  (fig.  28).  Small  bowl  of  grey  and  white  marble  (height  3.5 
cm.,  diameter  5  cm.). 

XI.  3  (fig.  28).  Small  bowl  of  grey  and  white  marble  (height 
1.5  cm.,  diameter  4  cm.). 

XI.  4  (fig.  28).  Small  cup  of  translucent  green  steatite,  straight 
hook  handle  (height  1.5  cm.,  diameter  3  cm.). 

XI.  5  (fig.  28).  Stone  color-table  like  those  from  Tombs  II  and 
V  (height  5  cm.,  length  31  cm.,  width  21  cm.). 

XI.  6  (fig.  28).  "Fruit-stand"  or  cover  of  dark  brown  ware  like 
those  from  Tomb  I,  No.  I,  a,  and  Tomb  XVI,  No.  10  (height  7. 8  cm., 
diameter  17.  6  cm.). 

XI.  7  (fig.  28).  Small  cup  of  translucent  green  steatite,  straight 
hook  handle  (height  1.3  cm.,  diameter  3  cm.). 

XI.  8  (fig.  28).  Small  pot  of  green  steatite  (height  3.4  cm.,  diam- 
eter 4  cm.). 

XI.  9  (fig.  28).  Small  bowl  of  green  steatite,  four  rim  handles 
(height  1.3  cm.,  diameter  2.3  cm.). 

XI.  10  (fig.  28).  Small  bowl  and  cover  of  black  steatite  (height 
2.8  cm.,  diameter  5.4  cm.). 

XI.  11  (fig.  28).  Mug  of  very  fine,  highly  polished  buff  clay  with 
narrow  bands  of  dark  paint  on  neck  and  body  (height  7.6  cm., 


60 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 


diameter  10.7  cm.)-  This  is  one  of  the  best  examples  from  the 
cemetery  of  Mochlos  of  the  M.  M.  I  polished  buff  ware  which  bears 
so  close  a  resemblance  to  the  earlier  class  of  E.  M.  II  vessels  with 
dark  designs  on  a  polished  buff  ground.  It  is  of  distinctly  M.  M.  I 
shape  and  cannot  possibly  be  assigned  to  an  earlier  period. 

XI.  12  (fig.  28).  Small  bowl  of  black  steatite  with  oblique 
grooving  (height  4.2  cm.,  diameter  8  cm.). 

XI.  13  (fig.  28  AND  PL.  VIII).  Large  M.  M.  I  cup  with  a  poly- 
chrome triangular  design  on  a  black  ground  (height  7  cm.,  diameter 
14.2  cm.).     The  prototype  of  this  cup  is  to  be  found  in  E.  M.  Ill 


FiocBE  29.    Scale  1  :  2 


cups  where  a  similar  design  of  barred  triangles  is  of  frequent  occur- 
rence.' 

XI.  14  (figs.  28,  29).  Bull  of  polished  buff  clay  with  a  harness 
in  dark  brown  paint  (height  13  cm.,  length  22  cm.).  The  harness 
seems  to  have  been  composed  of  large  circular  bits  of  some  material 
joined  together  to  form  a  sort  of  network  over  the  whole  body. 
Similar  bulls,  dating  from  the  L.  M.  I  period,  were  found  at  Pseira 
and  were  likewise  covered  with  a  somewhat  similar  harness.^  Crudely 
made  bulls  of  this  type  were  found  on  early  sites  excavated  by  Dr. 
Xanthoudides  in  the  Messara.  This  bull  has  the  usual  hole  in  the 
back  of  the  neck  and  both  the  eyes  and  the  nose  are  pierced. 

I  Goumia,  PI.  A,  No.  4.  •  Arith.  Publ.,  Vol.  UI,  No.  1,  p.  23,  Fig.  7  and  PI.  IX. 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  61 

XI.  15  (fig.  28).  Bowl  of  black  steatite  (height  4.9  cm.,  diameter 
10.5  cm.). 

XI.  16  (fig.  28  AND  PL.  VIII).  Vase  on  a  slender  foot,  two  hori- 
zontal handles  (height  10.8  cm.,  diameter  9.3  cm.).  The  poly- 
chrome design  is  a  complicated  one.  Under  either  handle  is  a  wheel- 
shaped  ornament  in  red  and  white.  The  rest  of  the  body  is  filled 
by  oblique  panels  containing  alternate  red  and  white  scroll  patterns. 
This  scroll  design  is  often  met  with  on  the  dark-on-light  vases  of 
this  period.  The  wheel-shaped  ornament  is  also  typical  of  the 
Middle  Minoan  age. 

XI.  17  (fig.  28).  Bowl  of  black  steatite  (height  8  cm.,  diame- 
ter 15  cm.). 

XI.  18  (no  illustration).  M.  M.  I  clay  cup  covered  with  black 
paint,  type  of  No.  55,  Figure  49,  badly  rotted. 

XI.  19,  20,  21  (no  illustration).  Three  large  bowls  of  black 
steatite,  type  of  Figure  18,  No.  IV,  1.  These  were  all  so  badly 
rotted  that  they  crumbled  away  as  soon  as  they  were  uncovered. 
The  presence  of  three  such  bowls  in  this  M.  M.  I  interment  proves 
how  peculiar  this  shape  is  to  the  Middle  Minoan  period.  It  is 
never  met  with  in  undisturbed  E.  M.  deposits. 

XI.  22  (fig.  45).  Slender  bronze  dagger  blade  with  slight  midrib 
(length  23.3  cm.).  This  type  of  blade  is  evidently  characteristic  of 
the  M.  M.  I  period  and  is  the  connecting  link  between  the  short 
triangular  daggers  of  the  Early  Minoan  age  and  the  slender  swords  of 
the  Late  Minoan  period. 

XI.  23  (no  illustration).  Badly  rotted  "egg-cup"  of  E.  M.  II 
mottled  ware. 

Tomb  XII 

This  tomb  is  the  only  one  which  contained  objects  of  unquestion- 
ably M.  M.  Ill  date.  It  is  of  the  cist  grave  type,  with  a  doorway 
closed  by  a  thin  upright  stone  slab.  In  point  of  construction  the 
tomb  is  certainly  of  early  date  and  must  have  been  built  originally  to 
contain  burials  of  the  E.  M.  period,  although  no  objects  were  found 
which  could  be  assigned  to  that  epoch.  In  the  tomb  we  find  only 
steatite  used  for  stone  vases,  no  gold  ornaments,  many  por- 
celain beads  and  a  couple  of  bronze  vessels,  all  features  which  are 
in  marked  contrast  to  those  observed  in  connection  with  burials 
of  the  E.  M.  period. 


62 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 


XII.  a  (fig.  47  AND  PL.  IX).  Hand  lamp  of  dark  grey  steatite 
(height  3  cm.,  diameter  6.5  cm.).  This  type  was  found  at  Pseira  in  L. 
M.  I  houses.'  Another  lamp  of  this  sort  was  found  at  Hagia  Triada 
in  the  Messara. 

XII.  b  (no  illustration).  Black  steatite  cup  (height  8.5  cm., 
diameter  9  cm.). 

XII.  c  (no  illustration).  Black  steatite  bowl  so  rotted  that  it 
could  not  be  preserved. 

XII.  d  (no  illustration).  Green  steatite  whorl  (diameter  2.5 
cm.). 

XII.  e  (fig.  26).  Bronze  bowl  badly  corroded  (height  4  cm., 
diameter  18.5  cm.). 


Xll.  h 


XII. 
FiGUBE  SO.    Scale  1  :  I 


XII. ; 


XII.  f  (fig.  31).  Bronze  cup  of  the  Vaphio  type  (height  6.5  cm., 
diameter  11.5  cm.).  This  cup  is  a  very  good  specimen  of  M.  M.  Ill 
metal  work.  The  design  is  one  which  occurs  frequently  in  the  dec- 
orative art  of  both  the  M.  M.  Ill  and  L.  M.  I  periods. 

XII.  g  (no  illustration).  Bronze  ring  with  engraved  bezel,  but 
so  badly  corroded  that  the  design  is  completely  obliterated  (diam- 
eter of  hoop  1.4  cm.). 

XII.  h  (fig.  30).     Two  large  porcelain  beads  (length  3.5  cm.). 

XII.  i  (fig.  30).  Three-sided  seal  of  red  carnelian  with  two 
engraved  faces  (length  1.8  cm.).  One  face  shows  a  bird  with  out- 
spread wings.  On  another  face  are  two  curious  objects,  possibly 
birds.     The  third  side  is  not  engraved. 

XII.  j  (fig.  30.)     Pendant  of  porcelain  (length  2.7  cm.). 

XII.  k  (no  illustration).     Small  amygdaloid  bronze  bead. 

>  Anth.  Publ.,  Vol.  Ill,  No.  1,  p.  37,  Fig.  18. 


o 


< 
o 

CO 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  63 

XII.  I  (no  illustration).  Several  beads  of  brown  clay  like  those 
from  Tomb  XV,  Figure  36,  No.  XV,  i. 

XII.  m  (fig.  31).  Cup  of  buff  clay  covered  with  black  glaze  on 
which  was  painted  a  design  in  wliite  (height  10.1  cm.,  diameter  9 
cm.).  The  paint  is  badly  worn.  As  is  often  the  case,  the  dark 
body  paint  has  almost  entirely  disappeared.  Wherever  the  white 
paint  of  the  design  has  protected  it  this  body  color  is  preserved, 
though  the  overlying  white  itself  is  worn  away.  Thus,  though  the 
drawing  shows  the  cup  as  it  looks  today,  one  must  imagine  the 
body  color  as  black  with  the  meander  pattern  in  white.  The  design 
is  unusual  in  Minoan  art,  but  it  is  interesting  as  it  shows  that  some- 
thing like  the  meander  of  classic  Greece  was  known  and  employed 
centuries  before  by  Minoan  artists.  It  is  an  additional  proof  that 
much  which  is  admired  in  Greek  art  was  derived  from  this  earlier 
culture  of  the  Aegean.  This  cup  both  in  form  and  design  is  one  of 
the  most  graceful  and  charming  examples  of  the  potter's  art  yielded 
by  the  cemetery  of  Mochlos. 

Tomb  XIII 

This  IS  a  slab-lined  tomb  of  the  usual  type.  It  appears  to  date 
from  the  E.  M.  II  period,  but  a  part  of  the  contents  belongs  to 
a  M.  M.  I  interment.  It  contained  no  gold  ornaments  of  any  sort 
and  if  any  existed  with  the  E.  M.  II  burial,  they  were  removed 
when  the  grave  was  reopened  in  the  E.  M.  Ill  and  M.  M.  I  periods. 

The  objects  are  as  follows: 

XIII.  a  (fig.  32).  Large  E.  M.  II  bowl  of  black  burnished  ware 
with  three  solid  ridge  handles  (height  12  cm.,  diameter  22.5  cm.). 
This  is  one  of  the  largest  examples  of  its  class  from  the  cemetery 
and  shows  its  early  date  by  the  handles,  which  are  of  a  type  com- 
mon to  the  neolithic  and  E.  M.  I  periods. 

XIII.  b  (fig.  32).  Side-spouted  jug  of  red  burnished  ware  (height 
6.7  cm.,  diameter  9.5  cm.). 

XIII.  c  (fig.  32).  Side-spouted  jug  of  black  burnished  ware 
(height  10.8  cm.,  diameter  13.7  cm.).  This  vase  seems,  on  the  evi- 
dence of  the  clay,  to  belong  to  the  E.  M.  II  period,  though  the 
shape  is  one  which  lasted  through  the  E.  M.  Ill  and  into  the 
M.  M.  I  age. 

XIII.  d  (fig.  32).  Small  jug  of  grey  marble  (height  3.5  cm., 
diameter  4.8  cm.). 


64 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 


XIII.  e  (fig.  32  AND  PL.  IV).  Shallow  cup  of  grey  and  white 
marble  (height  3  cm.,  diameter  8.5  cm.).  This  cup  is  an  exquisite 
piece  of  workmanship;  the  shape  seems  to  have  been  selected  to 
show  the  beautiful  veining  of  the  marble  to  the  best  advantage. 

XIII.  /  (fig.  32).  Small  bowl  of  green  steatite  (height  2.5  cm., 
diameter  5.5  cm.). 

The  six  preceding  vases  all  belong  to  the  E.  M.  II  period. 

XIII.  g  (figs.  32,  34).  Vase  representing  a  female  figure  holding 
her  breasts  (height  19  cm.).  This  figure  is  of  E.  M.  Ill  date  and 
probably  represents  the  same  primitive  nature  goddess  of  whom  so 


XIII.  h 

Figure  33.    Scale  1  :  2 

many  marble  examples  are  found  in  the  contemporary  cist  graves 
of  the  Cyclades.  The  head  of  this  figure  is  bound  with  a  sort  of 
fillet,  the  ends  of  which  are  folded  in  as  would  have  been  the  case 
with  a  band  of  cloth.  The  little  head  of  Figure  21  from  Tomb  IV, 
though  of  later  date,  has  the  same  turban-like  head-dress.  The 
figure  is  covered  with  dark  paint  which  bears  a  design  in  yellowish 
white.  The  surface  is  in  bad  condition,  but  enough  of  the  decora- 
tion remains  to  place  this  vessel,  bej^ond  any  possibility  of  doubt, 
in  the  E.  M.  Ill  period. 

XIII.  h  (figs.  32,  33).  Side-spouted  jug  of  polished  bufiF  clay  on 
which  are  painted  groups  of  obhquely  curving  lines  in  dark  paint 
(height  9.2  cm.,  diameter  11.5  cm.).  This  design  is  very  typical  of 
the  early  part  of  the  M.  M.  period  and  frequently  occurred  at 
Vasiliki,*  Pseira^  and  Gournia.' 


>  Trans..  Vol.  11,  Part  2,  p.  128,  Fig.  11. 
»  Goumia.  Plate  D,  No.  1. 


^Anth.  Publ..  Vol.  Ill,  No.  I,  p.  19. 


r  \ 
a 

< 
u 

C/3 


■J 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  66 

XIII.  i  (fig.  32).  Clay  cup  covered  with  black  body  paint,  a 
broad  band  of  white  around  the  rim.  This  is  a  tj'pe  which  fre- 
quently occurs  in  M.  M.  I  deposits  (height  7.3  cm.,  diameter 
8.2  cm.).     The  white  band  has  almost  disappeared. 

XIII.  j  (fig.  32).  Side-spouted  jug  with  two  horizontal  side 
handles  (height  6.2  cm.,  diameter  10  cm.).  This  jug  is  covered 
with  black  paint  bearing  a  geometrical  design  in  white  which  has 
almost  disappeared.  The  type  is  one  which  may  be  regarded  as 
the  M.  M.  I  representative  of  the  E.  M.  II  and  E.  M.  Ill  side- 
spouted  jugs  and  bowls  but  is  easily  distinguished  from  its  prede- 
cessors by  the  angular  outline  of  the  body  and  the  quality  of  the 
black  and  white  paint.  The  black  paint  is  much  more  metallic  in 
the  M.  M.  I  period,  and  the  white  paint  of  a  more  chalky  con- 
sistency than  in  E.  M.  Ill  specimens. 

XIII.  k  (no  illustration).  Clay  cup  in  bad  condition  (height 
6.5  cm.,  diameter  11.2  cm.).  This  cup  is  of  the  same  general  type 
and  design  as  that  shown  in  Figure  49,  No.  57,  except  that  it  has  a 
strap  handle.     It  is  of  E.  M.  Ill  date. 

XIII.  /  (no  illustration).  Two  handled  mug  of  coarse  red  ware 
(height  7.7  cm.,  diameter  9.5  cm.).  The  body  was  once  covered 
with  dark  paint  which  bore  a  spiraliform  design  in  white,  but  the 
whole  surface  of  the  vessel  is  now  in  very  bad  condition.  Like  No. 
XIII,  k,  this  mug  belongs  to  the  E.  M.  Ill  period. 

XIII.  m  (fig.  45).  Bronze  knife  blade  (length  22  cm.).  This 
blade  is  very  like  that  from  Tomb  XI,  No.  22  (Fig.  45)  and  must 
be  of  M.  M.  I  date. 

XIII.  n  (no  illustration).  Similar  knife  blade,  broken  (length 
21  cm.).     This  knife  blade  has  a  pronounced  midrib. 

Tomb  XIV 

A  small  hole  in  the  rocks  filled  with  bones.  It  contained  nothing 
which  gave  any  clue  to  its  date.     Only  one  object  came  to  light. 

XIV.  a  (fig.  36).  Small  silver  ring  with  a  plain  bezel  (diameter 
of  bezel  1  cm.). 

Tomb  XV 

This  built  tomb,  which  lay  against  the  face  of  a  small  cliff,  con- 
tained a  mixed  deposit.  The  best  of  the  stone  vases  point  to  the 
E.  M.  II  or  E.  M.  Ill  period,  whereas  a  silver  signet  shows  that  the 


66  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

tomb  was  used  as  late  as  the  M.  M.  Ill  age,  but  unfortunately  no 
pottery  was  found  by  which  to  date  the  objects,  which  are  as  follows : 

XV.  a  (fig.  37).  Small  pot  of  grey  and  white  marble  with  three 
rim  handles  and  a  rim  spout  (height  4  cm.,  diameter  5.8  cm.). 

XV.  b  (fig.  37).  Another  pot  almost  identical  in  size  and  shape 
with  the  preceding  (height  3.5  cm.,  diameter  4.9  cm.). 

XV.  c  (fig.  37).  Small  pot  of  the  same  material,  but  without 
the  spout,  which  is  replaced  by  a  fourth  rim  handle  (height  3.3  cm., 
diameter  4.6  cm.).  These  three  pots  are  of  a  grey  marble  much 
darker  in  color  than  that  which  is  usually  found  in  these  tombs. 

XV.  d  (fig.  37).  Little  jug  of  a  rose-colored  stone  which  rarely 
occurs  at  Mochlos  (height  3.3  cm.,  diameter  3.5  cm.). 

These  four  vases,  Nos.  XV,  a,  b,  c  and  d,  are  probably  of  early 
date,  whereas  the  succeeding  ones  belong  to  the  M.  M.  I  or  M.  M. 
Ill  periods. 

XV.  e  (fig.  37).  Plain  black  steatite  cup  (height  4  cm.,  diame- 
ter 8.3  cm.). 

XV.  /  (fig.  37).  Cup  of  the  same  size  and  material.  These  cups 
are  exactly  similar  to  the  unpainted  clay  votive  cups  of  which  such 
masses  are  found  in  all  L.  M.  I  deposits. 

XV.  g  (no  illustration).  Large  bowl  of  coarse  white  limestone 
of  the  type  shown  in  Figure  18,  No.  IV,  1,  from  Tomb  IV  (height 

II  cm.,  diameter  27  cm.). 

XV.  h  (figs.  35,  36).  Silver  signet  seal  (length  1.7  cm.,  diam- 
eter of  field   1.3  cm.).     Strangely  enough,  although  silver  is  as  a 

rule  in  bad  preservation,  this  signet  has 

not  suffered  from  corrosion.     It  is   of   a 

>;— q.  t^^^S)  type  common  in  the  M.   M.  Ill  period, 

^^iL      XV.  *    ^i^^^  two  examples  of  which  have  been  described 

under  Tomb  III,  No.  Ill,  i  (Fig.  14)  and 

Figure  35.     Scale  1:1  „        l   x^     xt       -v     l   /-n-       «w\ 

Tomb  X,  No.  X,  b  (Fig.  27). 

XV.  i  (fig.  36).  Necklace  of  brown  clay  beads  (length  28  cm.). 
Such  beads  were  found  in  Tomb  XII,  which  belonged  to  the  M.  M. 

III  period.    They  also  turned  up  frequently  in  the  L.  M.  I  houses 
at  Mochlos. 

Tomb  XVI 

This  is  a  slab-lined  tomb  with  a  doorway  at  the  south  end.  From 
the  fine  character  of  the  stone  vases  and  from  the  pottery  we  must 


a 

o 


o 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  67 

assign  this  grave  to  the  E.  M.  II  period.  The  matter  of  date  is 
further  fixed  by  the  broad  gold  armlet  (Fig.  38),  which  is  the  counter- 
part of  the  fragmentary  armlets  from  Tomb  II.  One  vase  is  of 
M.  M.  I  date;  the  tomb,  therefore,  continued  in  use  until  that 
period.     The  objects  are  as  follows: 

XVI.  1  (fig.  37  AND  PL.  I).  Bowl  of  mottled  grey  and  white 
marble  on  a  foot,  with  rim  spout  and  three  rim  handles  (height  9.5 
cm.,  diameter  14.5  cm.).  In  shape  this  vase  recalls  E.  M.  II  clay 
vases,  among  which  spouted  bowls  and  jugs  on  a  foot  are  of  fre- 
quent occurrence. 

XVI.  2  (fig.  37).  Small  bowl  of  alabaster  with  four  rim  handles 
(height  4  cm.,  diameter  6.5  cm.). 

XVI.  3  (fig.  37).  Small  bowl  of  green  steatite  with  four  rim 
handles  (height  2.2  cm.,  diameter  4.3  cm.). 

XVI.  4  (fig.  37).  Small  bowl  of  the  same  material  with  a  rim 
spout  and  three  rim  handles   (height  2.3  cm.,  diameter  4.8  cm.). 

XVI.  5  (fig.  37).  Alabaster  cup  with  hook  handle  (height  3.8 
cm.,  diameter  6.1  cm.).  This  is  a  very  fine  piece  of  stone,  beauti- 
fully veined. 

XVI.  6  (fig.  37).  Cup  and  cover  of  the  same  type  in  breccia 
(height  3.5  cm.,  diameter  6.6  cm.). 

XVT.  7  (fig.  37).  Low  bowl  of  mottled  grey  and  white  marble 
(height  4.2  cm.,  diameter  14.4  cm.). 

XVI.  8  (fig.  37).  Bridge-spouted  jug  of  E.  M.  Ill  ware  (height 
13.2  cm.,  diameter  15  cm.). 

XVI.  9  (FIG.  37).  Side-spouted  jug  of  buff  clay  of  M.  M.  I  date 
(height  7.5  cm.,  diameter  8.3  cm.).  This  jug  bears  the  typical  M. 
M.  I  scroll  pattern  filling  an  oblique  panel  on  the  shoulder  of  the 
vessel.  The  same  scroll  design  occurs  on  the  polychrome  vase  from 
Tomb  XI  (PI.  VIII,  No.  XI,  16). 

XVI.  10  (fig.  37).  "Fruit-stand"  or  cover  of  black  burnished 
E.  M.  II  ware  (height  8.5  cm.,  diameter  19.5  cm.).  Other  vessels 
of  this  type  occurred  in  Tomb  I,  No.  I,  a,  Tomb  XI,  No.  XI,  6, 
and  Tomb  XIX,  No.  XIX,  1. 

XVI.  11  (no  illustration).  Small  cover  of  E.  M.  II  polished 
buff  ware  with  bands  of  dark  paint  (diameter  9.5  cm.). 


68 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCELOS 


XVI.  12  (fig.  38).  Seal  of  brown  steatite  engraved  on  either  face 
(diameter  of  field  1.3  cm.).  This  seal  probably  dates  from  the  M. 
M.  I  period. 

XM.  13  (figs.  20,  38).  Broad  gold  armlet  (length  18  cm.,  width 
4.4  cm.).  This  is  the  largest  and  heaviest  gold  object  found  in  the 
entire  cemetery.  In  design  it  is  identical  with  the  three  pieces  from 
Tomb  II,  Figure  8,  No.  II,  18,  a,  6  and  c.  The  edges  are  doubled 
back  as  though  to  grip  a  core  of  some  other  material,  which  would 
have  been  a  necessity  since  the  metal  is  hardly  thick  enough  to  have 
been  worn  alone.  As  its  length  is  not  sufficient  to  encircle  an  arm,  it 
may  be  that  the  armlet  was  made  of  two  strips,  only  one  of  which  is 


XVI.  12 


XVI.  13 
Figure  38.    Scale  1  :  1 


preserved.  Otherwise  it  could  never  have  been  intended  to  encircle 
the  arm  entirely,  but  could  have  been  turned  so  that  the  gap  would 
be  on  the  inside  against  the  body.  In  case  the  core  was  of  flexible 
wood  or  leather  stiffly  tanned,  the  wearer  could  have  forced  it  over 
the  muscles  of  the  arm  in  such  a  way  that  it  would  remain  fixed  in 
one  position  instead  of  slipping  up  and  down. 


Tomb  XVII 

This  is  a  built  tomb  lying  beside  No.  XV.     There  is  nothing  to 
show  the  date  of  the  interment  except  three  small  stone  vases  which, 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  69 

from  their  quality,  seem  to  belong  to  either  the  E.  M.  II  or  the  E.  M. 
Ill  period. 

XVII.  a  (fig.  46).  Cup  of  green  steatite,  hook  handle  (height 
2.5  cm.,  diameter  5  cm.). 

XVII.  b  (fig.  46),  Little  cup  of  similar  shape  of  translucent  green 
steatite  (height  1.2  cm.,  diameter  2.3  cm.). 

XVII.  c  (fig.  46).  Small  bowl  of  green  steatite,  three  rim 
handles  (height  1.5  cm.,  diameter  5.7  cm.). 

Tomb  XVIII 

This  tomb  lay  low  down  the  slope  near  the  edge  of  the  cliffs  and 
possessed  no  walls  of  any  sort,  the  bones  and  objects  lying  together 
in  a  natural  hole  in  the  rock.  On  the  evidence  of  the  pottery  it 
would  appear  to  be  of  E.  M.  II  and  E.  M.  Ill  date,  for  it  contained 
several  vases  typical  of  both  these  periods. 

XVIII.  a  (fig.  46).  Cup  of  grey  and  white  veined  marble  with 
hook  handle  (height  5.7  cm.,  diameter  10  cm.). 

XVIII.  6  (no  illustration).  Small  clay  dish  covered  with  poor 
black  paint  (height  4.5  cm.,  diameter  15  cm.). 

XVIII.  c  (no  illustration).  Same  of  coarse  red  clay  covered 
inside  with  a  thin  wash  of  reddish  paint  (height  5  cm.,  diameter 
13  cm.). 

XVIII.  d  (no  illustration).  Straight-sided  cup  of  buff  clay 
highly  polished  (height  6.4  cm.,  diameter  9.2  cm.).  The  shape  is 
similar  to  that  shown  in  Figure  49,  Nos.  56,  57.  The  marks  of 
paring  on  the  sides  and  the  band  of  dark  paint  around  the  rim  show 
that  it  must  belong  to  the  E.  M.  II  period. 

XVIII.  e  (no  illustration).  Hand-made  cup  of  brown  clay, 
roughly  pared  into  the  required  shape,  type  of  No.  27  in  Figure  48 
(height  8.  cm.,  diameter  7.5  cm.). 

XVIII. /  (no  illustration).  Spouted  mug  of  coarse  red  ware 
with  handle,  type  of  Figure  49,  No.  49  (height  10  cm.,  diameter 
12.3  cm.). 

XVIII.  g  (no  illustration).  Side-spouted  jug  of  red  burnished 
ware  on  tall  foot;  the  surface  is  badly  worn.  Type  of  No.  65,  Figure 
49  (height  8.8  cm.,  diameter  7.4  cm.). 


70 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 


XVIII.  h  (no  illustration).  Side-spouted  jug  of  E.  M.  Ill 
ware  with  a  much  worn  design  of  white  chevrons  on  the  shoulder, 
type  of  No.  74,  Figure  49  (height  14.5  cm.,  diameter  19.2  cm.). 


X\lII.i(FiG.  39). 


XVIII.  .• 


FiGCBE  39.    Scale  I  :  I 


Part  of  a  cylindrical  seal  of  translucent  green 
steatite  engraved  on  either  end 
(length2.6cm.).  Unfortunately 
this  seal  had  been  broken  and 
only  this  piece  of  it  was  found. 
The  design  on  one  end,  b,  is 
almost  complete,  but  only  a 
small  portion  of  the  surface  at 
the  other  end  is  preserved. 


Tomb  XIX 

This  was  the  richest  of  the  smaller  tombs.  The  objects  it  con- 
tained belong,  with  three  possible  exceptions,  to  the  E.  M.  II  period. 
The  construction  was  very  poor,  consisting  of  a  retaining  wall  at 
the  lower  or  southern  end,  with  two  side  walls  running  back  to  the 
face  of  the  cliff  at  the  foot  of  which  the  tomb  lies.  The  rock  floor 
was  very  uneven  and  the  objects,  together  with  human  remains, 
were  found  scattered  about  in  every  direction.  The  crevices  of  the 
rock  all  contained  bits  of  gold  foil  which  had  slipped  down  from  the 
burial  deposit.  At  the  upper  end  against  the  cliff  the  soil  was  only  10 
cm.  deep,  and  even  here  one  of  the  gold  hairpins  was  found  almost 
on  the  surface.  Not  a  potsherd  of  later  date  than  the  E.  M.  Ill 
period  was  found.  This  interment,  therefore,  helps  to  establish  the 
conclusions  drawn  from  the  large  chamber  tombs,  where  in  each 
case  all  the  evidence  pointed  to  the  E.  M.  age  as  the  period  of  fine 
gold-work  and  good  stone  vases.  In  this  tomb,  one  of  those 
which  show  no  signs  of  M.  M.  interments,  both  these  classes  of  objects 
are  remarkably  good.  The  best  reason  for  supposing  that  the  tomb 
may  have  continued  in  use  during  the  E.  M.  Ill  age  is  the  presence 
of  a  knife  blade  which  looks  a  little  later  than  the  extremely  short 
daggers  usually  assigned  to  the  E.  M.  II  period.  A  small  bowl  of 
black  steatite,  a  material  very  rare  at  Mochlos  before  the  E.  M.  Ill 
period,  also  seems  to  point  to  burials  of  this  date.  The  bronze  arrow- 
head. No.  XIX,  34,  belongs  to  an  even  later  period  but,  in  all  proba- 
bility, it  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  original  interments.  The  objects 
from  the  tomb  are  as  follows: 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 


71 


XIX.  1  (figs.  4,  40).  Burnished  cover  or  "fruit-stand"  of  oval 
form  (height  about  13  cm.,  diameter  21  by  16.5  cm.).  The  oval 
shape  of  this  vessel  is  almost  conclusive  proof  that  these  are  not 
meant  for  covers,  inasmuch  as  E.  M.  II  oval  vessels  must  have 
been  very  rare,  no  examples  of  them  having  yet  been  found  in 
deposits  of  that  period.     The  clay  is  dark  brown,  highly  burnished. 

XIX.  2  (fig.  4  AND  PL.  IX).  Slender  vase  of  dark  grey  steatite 
of  fine  quality  on  foot  (height  9  cm.,  diameter  5  cm.).  This  vase, 
one  of  the  most  graceful  from  the  cemetery,  is  intensely  modern  in 
both  design  and  execution.     It  seems  almost  impossible  that  the 


XIX.  1 
FiouBE  40.    Scale  I  :  2 


people  who  were  still  making  black  burnished  vessels  like  No.  XIX, 
1,  the  dark-on-light  geometric  ware  of  Figure  13,  Nos.  I,  b,  and  II,  I, 
and  the  grotesque  mottled  fabrics  were  capable  of  producing  vases 
such  as  this  one,  which  shows  an  artistic  feeling  far  beyond  that 
seen  in  any  other  branch  of  their  art. 

XIX.  3  (fig.  4).     Small  bowl  of  common  black  steatite  (height 
3  cm.,  diameter  5  cm.). 

XIX.  4  (fig.  4).     Bowl  of  grey  crystalline  marble  with  two  suspen- 
sion holes  on  either  side  (height  5.8  cm.,  diameter  11.4  cm.). 


78  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

XIX.  5  (fig.  4).  Finely  worked  bowl  of  grey  and  white  marble 
with  four  rim  handles  (height  4.2  cm.,  diameter  13.3  cm.). 

XIX.  6  (fig.  4).  Little  vase  on  foot  similar  to  No.  XIX,  2,  of 
translucent  green  steatite  (height  3.7  cm.,  diameter  3  cm.). 

XIX.  7  (fig.  4).  Little  cup  of  yellow  alabaster  (height  3  cm., 
diameter  4.5  cm.). 

XIX.  8  (fig.  4).  E.  M.  II  side-spouted  jug  of  plain  red  ware 
(height  10.5  cm.,  diameter  7.7  cm.). 

XIX.  9  (no  illustration).  Side-spouted  jug  of  plain  red  ware 
covered  with  a  wash  of  the  same  color,  type  of  No.  XIII,  b.  Figure 
32  (height  5.3  cm.,  diameter  7.3  cm.). 

XIX.  10  (no  illustration).  Cover  or  "fruit-stand"  like  No. 
XIX,  1,  badly  rotted. 

XIX.  11,  a,  b,  c,  d  (figs.  41,  42).  Four 
gold  hairpins  made  to  imitate  daisies  (length 
4  to  8.5  cm.).  These  pins  are  made  in  two 
parts,  the  pin  with  its  flat  head  forming  one 
piece  and  the  petals  the  other. 

XIX.  12,  a,  b  (fig.  41).  Two  large  beads 
of  chalcedony  (length  2.2  cm.). 

XIX.  13,  a,  b  (fig.  41).     Two  bands  of  gold 

with  geometrical   dotted  designs   (length   14.3 

cm.,   width  2  cm.).     These  bands  are  almost 

identical  with  one  from  Tomb  II,  Figure  9,  No. 

II,  1.    They  are  hardly  long  enough  for  diadems. 

At  the  ends  and  along  the  upper  edge  they  are 

pierced  with  small  holes  intended  either,  as  I  have  said  (p.  26),  for 

attaching  pendants  or  for  admitting  pins  which  fastened  the  bands 

to  the  hair  or  dress. 

XIX.  14  (fig.  41).  A  necklace  composed  of  carnehan,  steatite, 
amethyst,  shell  and  crystal  beads  of  all  shapes  and  sizes  (length 
30  cm.).  The  gold  bead  in  the  centre  is  very  like  one  from  Tomb  I, 
Figure  6,  No.  I,  m. 

XIX.  15  (fig.  43).  Four  strips  of  green  steatite  inlay  like  those 
from  Tomb  II,  No.  40  (length  2.5  cm.). 

XIX.  16,  a,  b,  c  (fig.  43).  Three  gold  stars  evidently  intended  for 
sewing  to  garments,  inasmuch  as  each  point  is  pierced  with  a  small 
hole  (diameter  2.7  cm.). 


Figure  -11.     Scale  about  3  :  7 


Figure  43.     Scale  1  :  -i 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  73 

XIX.  17,  a,  b  (fig.  43).  Pieces  of  armlets  of  very  thin  gold,  badly 
crushed  (length  5  cm.,  width  2  cm.). 

XIX.  18  (fig.  43).  Lozenge-shaped  fragment  of  gold  foil  with  a 
dotted  border  (length  2.7  cm.). 

XIX.  19  (fig.  43).     LfCaf-shaped  pendant  of  gold  (length  3.2  cm.). 

XIX.  20  (fig.  43).  Fine  gold  chain  divided  into  two  parts  by  a 
leaf-shaped  bit  of  gold.  It  has  a  ball  pendant  at  the  lower  end 
(length  7.3  cm.). 

XIX.  21  (fig.  43).  Long  strip  of  gold  foil  pierced  with  holes  at 
the  upper  end  (length  16  cm.). 

XIX.  22  (fig.  43).  Heavy  gold  chain  of  double  hnks  (length  7.5 
cm.). 

XIX.  23,  a,  b,  c  (fig.  43).  Three  broad  leaves  of  gold,  evidently 
parts  of  a  spray  hke  those  from  Tomb  II,  Figure  10,  No.  II,  24 
(length  of  each  leaf  2.5  cm.,  width  2  cm.). 

XIX.  24  (no  illustration).  Long  strip  of  gold  foil  like  No. 
XIX,  21,  but  without  dotted  border  (length  24  cm.). 

XIX.  25,  a,  b  (fig.  44).  Blades  of  a  pair  of  depilatory  pincers 
which  had  been  mounted  in  a  handle  of  perishable  material  (length 
6.5  cm.).    These  blades  may  be  copper. 

XIX.  26  (fig.  44).  Small  triangular  dagger  blade  (length  6.5  cm.). 
This  is  probably  copper. 

XIX.  27  (fig.  44).  Large  dagger  blade  of  similar  shape  (length 
10.5  cm.).  This  blade  is  probably  of  E.  M.  Ill  date,  for  typical 
E.  M.  II  daggers  are  usually  less  tapering.     It  is  probably  of  copper. 

XIX.  28  (figs.  12,  44).  Pair  of  depilatory  pincers  (length  8  cm.). 
They  are  probably  of  copper. 

XIX.  29  (fig.  44).  Small  cutter,  possibly  of  copper  (length  3.2 
cm.). 

XIX.  30  (fig.  44).     Same,  of  large  size  (length  5.2  cm.). 

XIX.  31  (fig.  44).  Slender  knife  blade  (length  5  cm.).  This  was 
probably  used  for  toilet  purposes,  as  it  is  too  small  and  delicate  for 
ordinary  use.     It  is  probably  of  copper. 

XIX.  32  (fig.  44).  Small  cutter,  probably  of  copper,  type  of 
Nos.  XIX,  29,  30  (length  4.4  cm.). 


74  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

XIX.  33  (fig.  44).  Pair  of  depilatory  pincers,  probably  of  copper 
(length  9  cm.).  Pincers  of  this  type  were  found  in  cist  graves 
at  Amorgos.' 

XIX.  34  (fig.  45).  Small  bronze  arrowhead  (length  5.2  cm.). 
This  is  the  only  object  that  may  be  of  later  date  than  the  other 
things.  An  arrowhead  would  hardly  be  of  this  socketed  type  in 
the  E.  M.  II  period  when  weapons  were  still  very  primitive  in  shape 
and  manufacture.  A  small  object  of  this  sort  may  have  been  dropped 
at  a  later  date,  e.g.,  in  the  M.  M.  I  period,  and  may  gradually  have 
worked  down  until  it  reached  the  earlier  burial  deposit,  especially 
as  the  soil  was  never  more  than  40  cm.  deep  in  any  part  of  the  tomb. 

Tomb  XX 

This  is  another  built  tomb  of  the  usual  type,  dating  mainly  from 
the  M.  M.  Ill  epoch.  The  last  burial  certainly  took  place  in  that 
period,  although  the  only  two  clay  vases  found  must  be  referred  to 
an  earlier  interment.  Two  of  the  stone  vessels  were  of  a  type 
seldom  found  before  the  beginning  of  the  M.  M.  I  age  (Fig.  32,  Nos. 
XX,  2,  3).  Again,  black  steatite  vases  occurred  in  this  tomb,  and 
three  spear  heads  which  are  of  later  date  than  the  Early  Minoan 
period,  when,  so  far  as  we  know,  spears  were  not  yet  in  use. 

This  tomb  seems  to  have  cut  into  an  earlier  burial,  Tomb  XXI, 
which  lay  next  to  it  along  the  face  of  the  adjacent  cliff.  This  burial 
was  of  E.  M.  II  and  E.  M.  Ill  date  and,  among  other  gold 
objects,  contained  a  number  of  long  tubular  gold  beads  (Fig.  20, 
No.  XXI,  19).  When  No.  XX  was  cleared,  several  beads  of  exactly 
the  same  size  and  shape  were  found  at  the  upper  end  of  the  M.  M.  Ill 
tomb  partly  underlying  the  wall  which  cut  into  No.  XXI.  It  seems 
clear,  therefore,  that  No.  XX  cut  through  the  E.  M.  interment  of 
No.  XXI,  to  which  belonged  the  gold  beads  and  two  clay  vases;  these 
are  manifestly  of  earUer  date  than  the  rest  of  the  contents  of  No.  XX. 

The  objects  are  as  follows: 

XX.  1  (fig.  32) .  Bowl  of  black  burnished  ware  on  a  slender  foot. 
It  has  a  rim  spout  and  one  horizontal  handle  (height  9.2  cm.,  diame- 
ter 15.5  cm.).  This  vessel  is  certainly  of  E.  M.  II  date,  apparently 
a  modification  of  the  goblet  type.'  A  bowl  of  similar  shape  is  figured 
among  objects  from  the  Cycladic  cist  graves.' 

''E<p.  'Apx-,  1898,  PI.  12,  No.  4;  ibid..  1899.  PI.  10,  Nos.  40.  41.  42. 

•  A.  J.  A..  Vol.  XUI.  p.  279,  Fig.  2,  No.  1.  '.Ey..  'Apx-,  1899,  p.  98.  Fig.  27. 


Fiiiiiii:    H.     SiAi.i;    1  :  i 


Figure  45.    SrALE  adout  i:5 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  75 

XX.  2  (fig.  32).  Bowl  of  grey  and  white  marble  of  M.  M.  I 
type  (height  5  cm.,  diameter  8.8  cm.). 

XX.  3  (fig.  32).  Large  cup  of  black  steatite  (height  10.5  cm., 
diameter  10.5  cm.). 

XX.  4  (no  illustration).  Bowl  of  red  stone,  type  of  No.  XX, 
2,  so  badly  rotted  that  it  could  not  be  preserved. 

XX.  5  (no  illustration).  Bowl  of  green  steatite  (height  3  cm., 
diameter  8  cm.). 

XX.  6  (no  illustration).  Clay  cup,  type  of  that  from  Tomb  IV. 
No.  IV,  2  (Fig.  19),  painted  with  bands  of  white  (height  7.1  cm., 
diameter  10.8  cm.). 

XX.  7  (fig.  36).     Silver  ear  pick  (length  5.7  cm.). 

XX.  8  (fig.  36).  String  of  beads  of  various  sorts.  There  are 
two  large  flat  amethyst  beads,  a  carved  cylindrical  bead  of  green 
steatite,  one  fluted  gold  bead,  two  of  carnelian  and  four  of  porce- 
lain. These  porcelain  beads  are  of  the  grooved  type  which  never 
occurs  in  the  earlier  graves. 

XX.  9  (fig.  45).  Bronze  knife  blade  (length  13  cm.).  This  has  a 
very  late  look  and  might  well  be  classed  as  of  M.  M.  Ill  date. 

XX.  10  (fig.  45).     Bronze  spear  head  (length  28  cm,). 

XX.  11  (FIG.  45).  Same  (length  33.4  cm.).  Bound  with  a  metal 
band  where  the  haft  entered  the  socket. 

XX.  12  (fig.  45).  Same  (length  28  cm.).  This  was  intended  for 
a  wooden  handle  of  greater  thickness  than  the  two  preceding,  as  the 
diameter  of  the  socket  hole  is  2.7  cm.,  whereas  in  No.  10,  it  is  only 
1.8  cm.,  and  in  No.  11,  2.2  cm.  Apparently  spear  heads  were  very 
seldom,  if  ever,  made  before  the  M.  M.  Ill  period.  At  any  rate 
I  know  of  no  earlier  examples. 

XX.  13  (no  illustration).  Knife  blade  like  No.  XX,  9  (length 
10.5  cm.). 

Tomb  XXI 

This  is  a  slab-lined  tomb  and  belongs,  as  do  all  the  richest  tombs, 
to  the  Early  Minoan  period.  As  has  been  said,  it  was  cut  into  by 
No.  XX  in  the  M.  M.  period,  but  many  objects  lying  in  a  nar- 
row crevice  against  the  overhanging  cliff  had  escai>ed  untouched. 


76  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

One  wall,  which  surely  belonged  to  the  original  tomb,  is  that  on  the 
south,  and  this  was  broken  by  the  doorway  leading  into  the  tomb 
chamber.  It  is  possible  that  the  west  wall  of  No.  XX  is  the  original 
west  wall  of  No.  XXI,  since  it  is  formed  of  upright  slabs  and  is 
apparently'  of  early  construction.  It  seems  probable  that  in  the  M. 
M.  period  the  original  chamber  was  cut  in  half  by  the  wall  of  small 
stones  which  forms  the  east  wall  of  No.  XX.  If  this  was  the  case, 
the  original  enclosure  was  a  large  one,  about  2  m.  square. 

The  pottery  was  of  the  E.  M.  II  and  E.  M.  Ill  periods;  no  later 
objects  of  any  sort  were  found.  The  stone  vases  were  of  very  fine 
workmanship.  The  best  objects  lay  in  a  crevice  of  the  rock  near  the 
back  of  the  tomb;  near  the  entrance  three  clay  vases  were  found. 
The  bones  of  many  bodies  were  discovered  in  the  tomb  chamber.  It 
would  appear  that  the  earliest  remains  were  piled  at  the  far  end  from 
the  doorway  and,  as  more  were  added,  the  deposit  gradually  spread 
toward  the  entrance,  where  bones  were  found  mixed  with  vases  of 
the  E.  M.  Ill  period,  to  which  one  must  assign  the  final  abandon- 
ment of  the  tomb. 

The  objects  from  the  tomb  are  as  follows: 

XXI.  1  (fig.  46).  Small  spouted  bowl  of  alabaster  (height  4.5  cm., 
diameter  6.8  cm.). 

XXI.  2  (fig.  46).  Vase  of  mottled  green  steatite  (height  4.8  cm., 
diameter  4.1  cm.). 

XXI.  3  (fig.  46).  Cup  of  grey  and  white  veined  marble  with 
hook  handle.  This  is  an  exquisite  piece  of  work;  the  walls  are  as 
thin  as  those  of  a  china  tea-cup  (height  4.3  cm.,  diameter  10.5  cm.). 

XXI.  4  (fig.  46).  Small  cup  and  cover  of  alabaster.  This  is  a 
stone  example  of  the  common  clay  cup  of  the  E.  M.  Ill  period 
(height  3.5  cm.,  diameter  4.7  cm.). 

XXI.  5  (fig.  46).  Clay  vase  of  early  shape  bearing  a  geometrical 
white  design  which  would  lead  one  to  assign  it  to  the  E.  M.  Ill 
period  (height  13.9  cm.,  diameter  10.6  cm.). 

XXI.  6  (fig.  46).  Cover  of  breccia  (height  3.5  cm.,  diameter  6 
cm.).  This  kind  of  cover  is  derived  from  very  early  neolithic  and 
E.  M.  I  clay  typ>es.  Similar  examples  were  found  in  Cycladic  cist 
graves  in  Syros.'  The  vases  from  Hagios  Nikolaos  near  Palaikas- 
tro  possess  such  clay  covers.' 

'  Tf .  'Apx;  1899,  PL  8,  Nos.  11,  11a.  «  B.  S.  A..  Vol.  IX,  p.  341,  Figs.  1,  2. 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  77 

XXI.  7  (fig.  46  AND  PL.  VII).  Grey  marble  cup  on  foot  (height 
5.7  cm.,  diameter  7.2  cm.).  This  is  the  famihar  "egg  cup"  shape  so 
typical  of  E.  M.  II  pottery.' 

XXI.  8  (fig.  46).  Sword  pommel  of  alabaster  (diameter  3.7  cm.). 
This  is  the  type  of  pommel  found  in  L.  M.  II  and  L.  M.  Ill  graves, 
which  shows  that  the  same  type  existed  unchanged  through  a  long 
space  of  time. 

XXI.  9  (fig.  46).  Cup  of  grey  marble  (height  4  cm.,  diameter 
7.5  cm.). 

XXI.  10  (fig.  46  AND  PL.  ni).  White  alabaster  vase  on  foot,  with 
four  knob  handles  on  the  shoulder  (height  6.4  cm.,  diameter  8  cm.). 
This  vase  is  of  a  decidedly  Cycladic  type,  both  in  shape  and 
material.''  The  vases  of  Figure  46,  No.  VII,  a,  and  Figure  47,  No. 
12,  are  in  the  same  material.  The  latter  also  has  a  Cycladic  look;  it 
is  quite  possible  that  these  are  really  importations  and  not  Cretan  at 
all.  The  workmanship  is  somewhat  inferior  to  that  of  the  other 
vases,  and  the  material  would  appear  to  be  of  foreign  origin. 

XXI.  11  (no  illustration).  Jug  of  buff  polished  clay  with  a 
broad  festoon  of  dark  paint  around  the  body.  There  is  a  clay  rivet 
on  the  neck  (height  15  cm.,  diameter  14  cm.).  The  vase,  which  is 
gourd  shaped,  has  the  neck  slightly  tipped  back. 

XXI.  12  (no  illustration).  Badly  preserved  jug  of  red  pol- 
ished ware  (height  about  15  cm.,  diameter  12.2  cm.).  The  neck 
is  lacking. 

XXI.  13  (fig.  20).  Six  tiny  leaf -shaped  pendants  in  gold  which 
resemble  those  from  Tomb  II,  Figure  10,  No.  II,  19  (length  1.5  to 
2  cm.). 

XXI.  14  (fig.  20) .  Cross-shaped  ornament  of  thin  gold,  evidently 
intended  to  be  pasted  to  some  other  object;  there  are  no  holes  for 
sewing  (diameter  7  cm.). 

XXI.  15  (fig.  20).  Leaf  of  gold,  evidently  part  of  a  spray  like 
those  from  Tomb  II,  Figure  10,  No.  II,  24  (length  4.5  cm.). 

XXI.  16  (fig.  20).  Leaf  of  gold  like  those  belonging  to  the  gold 
ornament  from  Tomb  V,  Figure  41,  No.  V,  k  (length  4.5  cm.). 

XXI.  17,  a,  b  (fig.  20).  Two  hoops  of  thin  gold  wire  (diameter 
1.7  cm.). 

I  Goumia,  PI.  XII.  No.  15.  ''Ey.  'Apx-,  1898,  PI.  10,  Nos.  16,  17. 


78  EXPLORATIOSS  IN  MOCHLOS 

XXI.  18  (fig.  20).  Tiny  human  mask  in  gold  foil,  evidently  the 
covering  of  a  core  of  perishable  material  (length  7  mm.). 

XXI.  19  (fig.  20).  Chain  of  tubular  gold  beads  alternating  with 
small  flat  ones  (length  60  cm.).  This  necklace  comes  partly  from 
this  tomb  and  partly  from  the  adjoining  tomb  No.  XX.  The  long 
beads  are  very  like  the  common  porcelain  "mummy"  beads  of 
Egypt. 

XXI.  20  (fig.  44).  Cutter,  probably  of  copper  (length  7.3  cm.). 
This  is  the  largest  of  its  kind  from  the  cemetery ;  it  was  attached  to 
the  handle  by  three  instead  of  the  usual  two  rivets. 

XXI.  21  (fig.  44).  Dagger  blade,  probably  copper,  of  the  short 
E.  M.  II  triangular  type  (length  8.3  cm.). 

XXI.  22  (fig.  44).  Dagger  blade,  probably  copper,  which  shows 
a  slight  advance  over  the  preceding  toward  the  more  tapering  shape 
of  the  M.  M.  I  knife  blades  (length  15.4  cm.).  The  pommel.  No. 
XXI,  8,  may  belong  to  this  dagger  blade,  which  is  the  only  one  of 
large  size  found  in  the  tomb. 

In  addition  to  these  objects  a  great  number  of  scraps  and  fragments 
of  gold  foil  were  found,  doubtless  the  remains  of  ornaments  destroyed 
in  the  disturbances  caused  by  cutting  away  a  part  of  the  burial 
deposit  to  make  room  for  Tomb  XX. 

Tomb  XXII 

This  is  a  very  narrow  grave  or  rather  trench  lying  just  outside  the 
west  wall  of  No.  XX.  The  grave  had  a  very  poor  wall  on  the 
western  side,  but  there  were  no  walls  at  either  of  the  narrow  north 
and  south  ends.  No  pottery  was  found  with  this  interment,  but  the 
character  of  the  gold  work,  which  is  very  different  from  that  found 
in  the  other  tombs,  makes  it  fairly  certain  that  the  grave  dates  from 
the  L.  M.  I  period. 

XXII.  a  (fig.  41  AND  PL.  X).  Short  necklace  of  gold,  crystal, 
amethyst  and  carnelian  beads.  The  beads  numbered  1,  14  and  16 
in  Figure  41  give  certain  evidence  as  to  the  date  of  the  necklace. 
They  must  belong  to  the  L.  M.  I  period,  if  not  to  an  even  later 
epoch,  inasmuch  as  they  are  of  a  type  common  in  L.  M.  II  and  L. 
M.  Ill  graves  on  the  Greek  mainland.  No.  12  is  an  electrum  bead 
and  Nos.  5,  7,  9  and  1 1  are  of  chalcedony.    The  bull's  head  pendant 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  79 

is  of  amethyst.  Gold  heads  of  the  same  sort  often  occur  in  the 
jewelry  of  the  Late  Minoan  periods;  several  such  heads  exquisitely 
worked  in  gold  were  found  at  Hagia  Triada.' 

XXII.  b  (no  illustration).  Large  bronze  ring  (diameter  1.5 
cm.).  The  bezel  is  so  badly  corroded  that  the  engraving  cannot 
be  made  out. 

XXII.  c  (no  illustration)  .  Large  amygdaloid  bead  of  bronze 
(length  2  cm.). 

XXII.  d  (no  illustration).  Plain  gold  ring  bezel  (diameter  1.7 
cm.). 

XXII.  e  (no  illustration).  Amygdaloid  seal  of  green  steatite 
with  design  of  crescents  (length  2  cm.). 

Tomb  XXIII 

This  tomb  appears  to  belong  to  the  E.  M.  II  and  E.  M.  Ill  periods. 
It  lay  in  a  line  with  No.  XIX,  and  all  four  of  the  tombs  in  this  row, 
backing  against  the  cliff,  would  seem  to  have  been  built  at  the  same 
time,  although  two  of  them  contained  no  objects  of  any  sort.  There 
are  no  clay  vases  by  which  to  date  this  grave,  but  a  tall  breccia  vase 
and  some  strips  of  gold  foil  are  typical  of  the  E.  M.  II  period.  The 
tomb  is  long  and  narrow,  with  a  doorway  at  the  lower  end  (length 
2.80  m.,  width  1  m.).  The  walls  are  built  partly  of  small  upright 
slabs,  partly  of  horizontal  courses  of  small  stones.  It  contained  very 
few  objects  of  any  sort  and,  as  the  tombs  to  the  right  and  left  of  it  were 
quite  empty,  it  seems  probable  that  they  had  all  been  plundered. 

XXIII.  a  (fig.  46  and  pl.  III).  Tall  breccia  vase  with  spout, 
two  suspension  handles,  and  one  button  handle.  This  is  the  largest 
piece  of  breccia  from  the  entire  cemetery  (height  16.7  cm.,  diameter 
9  cm.).  This  material  is  usually  confined  to  vases  of  very  small  size, 
for  it  is  often  full  of  flaws  and  breaks  easily.  This  shape  recalls 
certain  forms  of  E.  M.  Ill  clay  vases  and  is  evidently  the  proto- 
type of  the  tall,  slender  M.  M.  Ill  vases,  some  fine  examples  of 
which  were  found  at  Knossos.' 

XXIII.  6  (fig.  20).  String  of  minute  gold  beads.  It  was  neces- 
sary to  sift  the  earth  from  this  tomb  several  times  and  even  then  a 
certain  number  of  these  beads  probably  escaped  unobserved  as  some 
of  them  are  no  bigger  than  a  pin  head. 

>  Mon.  AnI..  Vol.  XIV,  p.  731,  Fig.  27.    « B.  S.  A.,  Vol.  VIII.  p.  91.  Fig.  51.  Nos.  7,  10. 


80  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

XXIII.  c  (fig.  20).  White  limestone  pendant  in  shape  of  a 
pyxis  (height  1  cm.,  diameter  1.5  cm.). 

OTHER  STONE  VASES  FROM  THE  CEMETERY 

These  vases  were  found  scattered  about  on  the  main  tomb  slope 
and  apparently  came  from  graves  which  had  been  completely 
destroyed  at  an  early  period.  Most  of  them  belong  to  the  class  of 
Early  IVIinoan  stone  vases  characterized  by  their  hard  materials  and 
fine  workmanship,  features  which  we  have  already  noted  in  describ- 
ing vases  from  undisturbed  tombs  of  the  E.  M.  period.  The  M  (mis- 
cellaneous) before  the  following  catalogue  numbers  is  introduced  to 
show  that  the  vases  so  marked  were  not  found  in  tombs  but  were 
strewn  about  in  the  surface  soil  of  the  cemetery. 

M.  1  (fig.  47).  Small  bowl  of  opaque  green  steatite  (height 
5  mm.,  diameter  3  cm.). 

M.  2  (fig.  47).  Small  goblet  of  green  steatite  on  a  foot  (height 
4  cm.,  diameter  1.5  cm.). 

M.  3  (fig.  47  AND  PL.  II) .  Vase  of  grey  and  white  marble  (height 
4  cm.,  diameter  2  cm.).  This  shape  is  typical  of  Vlth  Dynasty 
Egyptian  stone  vases.  A  similar  vase  was  found  at  Porti  in  the 
Messara  by  Dr.  Xanthoudides  in  an  E.  M.  deposit. 

M.  4  (fig.  47).  Small  bowl  of  green  steatite  with  hook  handle 
(height  1.7  cm.,  diameter  4.1  cm.). 

M.  5  (fig.  47).  Small  idol  of  white  marble  (height  6  cm.).  It 
is  very  roughly  made  with  no  attempt  at  reproducing  the  features. 
Similar  idols  were  found  in  the  tholos  at  Hagia  Triada.' 

M.  6  (fig.  47).  Bowl  of  translucent  green  steatite  with  rim 
spout  and  handle  (height  2.5  cm.,  diameter  5  cm.). 

M.  7  (fig.  47  AND  PL.  II).  Small  goblet  of  red  and  orange 
limestone  (height  5.5  cm.,  diameter  4  cm.).  This  is  a  very  curious 
material  and  at  first  glance  appears  to  be  made  of  two  separate 
pieces  of  stone  fastened  together,  so  marked  is  the  difference  in 
coloring  of  the  halves. 

M.  8  (fig.  47).  Small  bowl  of  green  steatite  with  two  rim 
handles  (height  1.7  cm.,  diameter  4.6  cm.). 

^Mon.  Anl.,  Vol.  XXI,  PI.  XI.  No.  27. 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  81 

M.  9  (fig.  47).  Small  bowl  of  green  steatite  with  horizontal 
rim  handle  (height  1  cm.,  diameter  2.2  cm.). 

M.  10  (fig.  47).  Small  bowl  of  green  steatite  with  a  fluted 
edge  (height  1.6  cm.,  diameter  5.5  cm.). 

M.  11  (fig.  47).  Small  alabaster  cup  on  foot  (height  2.7  cm., 
diameter  4  cm.). 

M.  12  (fig.  47  AND  PL.  IX).  Small  bowl  of  white  alabaster 
(height  2.2  cm.,  diameter  3.5  cm.).  This  has  the  same  Cycladic 
look  noticed  in  the  other  two  vases  of  this  material  from  the 
cemetery  (Fig.  46,  Nos.  VII,  a  and  XXI,  10). 

M.  13  (fig.  47  AND  PL.  IX).  Small  bowl  with  flaring  rim,  of 
richly  veined  alabaster  (height  2.5  cm.,  diameter  5.8  cm.). 

M.  14  (fig.  47).  Little  bowl  of  grey  veined  marble  with  two 
rim  handles  (height  1.5  cm.,  diameter  4.3  cm.). 

M.  15  (fig.  47  AND  PL.  IX).  Bowl  of  pink  and  grey  breccia 
(height  3  cm.,  diameter  6.7  cm.). 

M.  16  (fig.  47).  Bowl  of  grey  marble  with  rim  spout  and 
handle  (height  2  cm.,  diameter  3.9  cm.). 

M.  17  (fig.  47).  Bowl  of  rose-colored  stone  (height  1.7  cm., 
diameter  5.2  cm.).  Vases  of  this  material  were  of  very  rare 
occurrence;  only  one  other  was  found  in  the  cemetery  (Fig.  37,  No. 
XV,  d). 

M.  18  (fig.  47).  Round-bodied  bowl  and  cover  of  breccia  (height 
4.3  cm.,  diameter  8.2  cm.). 

M.  19  (fig.  47).  Bowl  of  grey  and  white  marble,  with  rim 
spout  and  three  rim  handles  (height  4  cm.,  diameter  8  cm.). 

M.  20  (fig.  47).  Alabaster  cup  with  horizontal  rim  handle 
(height  5  cm.,  diameter  8.5  cm.). 

M.  21  (fig.  47).  Pot  and  cover  of  grey  marble  (height  6.8  cm., 
diameter  7  cm.). 

MISCELLANEOUS   CLAY   VASES 

These  vases,  like  the  stone  vases  of  Figure  47,  were  found  scattered 
about  in  the  soil  of  the  cemetery.  The  first  twenty-five,  shown  in 
Figure  48,  Nos.  22-46,  all  belong  to  the  E.  M.  I  and  E.  M.  II 
periods. 


82  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

M.  22.  Side-spouted  jug  of  dark  burnished  ware  (height  11.3 
cm.,  diameter  11  cm.). 

M.  23.     Same  (height  10.5  cm.,  diameter  9.9  cm.). 

M.  24.  Straight-sided  cup  of  dark  burnished  ware  with  hori- 
zontal strap  handle  (height  8.7  cm.,  diameter  11.5  cm.). 

M.  25.  Cup  of  same  material,  with  spout  at  right  angle  to  handle 
(height  7.3  cm.,  diameter  11.9  cm.). 

M.  26.     Same,  smaller  size  (height  4.7  cm.,  diameter  9  cm.). 

M.  27.  Cup  of  dark  burnished  ware  (height  7.8  cm.,  diameter 
9  cm.). 

M.  28.  Bowl,  same  material,  spout  and  three  rim  handles 
(height  5.3  cm.,  diameter  8.7  cm.).  This  is  the  clay  prototype 
of  the  stone  bowls  like  No.  19  of  Figure  47. 

M.  29.  Ladle  of  red  clay  (length  20  cm.,  diameter  of  bowl  7.5 
cm.). 

M.  30.  Same,  with  short  handle  (length  15  cm.,  diameter  of  bowl 
7  cm.). 

M.  31.  Object  of  red  clay  resembling  "horns  of  consecra- 
tion" (length  19  cm.,  height  9  cm.). 

M.  32.     Vase  of  black  ware  (height  8  cm.,  diameter  10  cm.). 

M.  33.     Same,  of  smaller  size  (height  7.1  cm.,  diameter  7.1  cm.). 

M.  34.  Tiny  dish  or  saucer  of  dark  grey  clay  on  a  foot  (height 
4.5  cm.,  diameter  7.1  cm.). 

M.  35.  Ring  of  red  clay  (diameter  9.5  cm.).  This  may  have 
been  used  to  support  round-bottomed  vases. 

M.  36.     Small  cup  of  red  clay  (height  4  cm.,  diameter  6.2  cm.). 

M.  37.  Square  lump  of  coarse  brown  clay,  pierced  with  vertical 
suspension  holes  at  each  corner  (height  4.5  cm.,  diameter  8.5  cm.). 

M.  38.     Same,  of  larger  size  (height  4  cm.,  diameter  9  cm.). 

M.  39.  Cup  of  red  clay  with  small  knob-like  handle  (height 
4.2  cm.,  diameter  5.6  cm.). 

M.  40.  Clay  ring  like  M,  35  (height  5.8  cm.,  diameter  8.5  to  9.4 
cm.). 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  83 

M.  41.     Ladle  of  red  clay  like  M,  29  and  M,  30  (length  14.7  cm.). 

M.  42.     Same  (length  15.5  cm.). 

M.  43.  Side-spouted  jug  of  brown  clay  (height  12  cm.,  diameter 
15  cm.). 

M.  44.  Same,  with  short  spout  (height  15  cm.,  diameter  13.5  cm.). 
Design  in  waves  of  dark  paint  with  double  rows  of  dots  between 
each  pair  of  waves. 

M.  45.     Jug  of  red  clay  (height  15  cm.,  diameter  9.5  cm.). 

M.  46.  Side-spouted  jug  of  black  burnished  ware  (height  18.8 
cm.,  diameter  19.5  cm.). 

The  twenty-nine  vases  in  Figure  49  belong  for  the  most  part 
to  the  E.  M.  Ill  and  the  M.  M.  I  periods. 

M.  47.  Small  side-spouted  jug  of  polished  black  ware  of  E. 
M.  II  date  (height  6.3  cm.,  diameter  6  cm.). 

M.  48.     Same  (height  7  cm.,  diameter  8  cm.). 

M.  49.  Spouted  bowl  of  E.  M.  Ill  light-on-dark  geometric 
ware  (height  7.2  cm.,  diameter  9.7  cm.). 

M.  50.     Cup  of  E.  M.  II  red  ware  (height  5  cm.,  diameter  6  cm.). 

M.  51.  Jug  of  M.  M.  I  light-on-dark  ware  (height  4.5  cm., 
diameter  5.3  cm.). 

M.  52.     Same,  of  larger  size  (height  7  cm.,  diameter  5.8  cm.). 

M.  53.  M.  M.  I  cup  covered  with  dark  paint  (height  5.5  cm,, 
diameter  6.8  cm.). 

M.  54.  E.  M.  Ill  cup  of  red  clay  (height  6.1  cm.,  diameter  7 
cm.). 

M.  55.  M.  M.  I  cup  covered  with  dark  paint  and  with  a  broad 
white  band  around  the  rim  (height  6.2  cm.,  diameter  8.5  cm.). 

M.  56.  E.  M.  Ill  cup  with  design  of  barred  triangles  in  white 
paint  on  the  dark  band  around  the  rim  (height  4.7  cm.,  diameter 
10  cm.). 

M.  57.  Cupof  same  shape  covered  with  dark  paint.  The  design 
of  barred  white  triangles  on  the  rim  is  common  in  the  E.  M.  lU 
period  (height  7.5  cm.,  diameter  11.5  cm.). 


84  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

M.  58.  E.  M.  Ill  cup  of  the  round-bodied  tj'pe  with  design  of 
white  bands  and  waves  on  a  dark  ground  (height  5  cm.,  diameter  8 
cm.). 

M.  59.  E.  M.  in  cup  with  oblique  latticed  panels  in  white 
paint  on  a  dark  ground  (height  6.2  cm.,  diameter  7  cm.). 

M.  60.  E.  M.  Ill  cup,  type  of  No.  M,  58.  Bands  and  spiral 
design  in  white  on  a  dark  ground  (height  5.1  cm.,  diameter  7 
cm.). 

M.  61.  E.  M.  Ill  cup  covered  with  dark  paint  with  barred 
triangles  of  white  around  the  rim  (height  6.6  cm.,  diameter  10.5 
cm.). 

M.  62.     Same,  of  smaller  size  (height  6.2  cm.,  diameter  10  cm.). 

M.  63.     Same  tyj)e  (height  7.7  cm.,  diameter  11.1  cm.). 

M.  64.  E.  M.  Ill  cup  of  red  clay  with  faint  trace  of  a  white 
design  of  groups  of  vertical  lines  from  base  to  rim  both  inside  and 
out  (height  7.3  cm.,  diameter  9.5  cm.). 

M.  65.  E.  M.  II  side-spouted  vase  of  red  clay  on  a  tall  foot 
(height  6.5  cm.,  diameter  4.5  cm.). 

M.  66.  M.  M.  I  jug  of  polished  buff  clay  (height  6.8  cm., 
diameter  5.8  cm.). 

M.  67.  M.  M.  I  side-spouted  jug  on  three  small  feet.  Polished 
buff  clay  with  an  oblique  panel  of  dark  paint  on  the  shoulder 
(height  7  cm.,  diameter  6.5  cm.). 

M.  68.  M.  M.  I  jug  of  polished  buff  clay  (height  10  cm.,  diameter 
8.2  cm.). 

M.  69.  Same  type  as  No.  M,  67  (height  8  cm.,  diameter  7.4 
cm.). 

M.  70.  M.  M.  I  jug  of  polished  buff  clay  with  vertical  panel  of 
chevrons  in  dark  paint  (height  7.8  cm.,  diameter  6.8  cm.).  This 
jug  was  found  near  the  surface  in  Tomb  VI. 

M.  71.  Same  type  as  Nos.  M,  67  and  M,  69.  Pohshed  buff 
clay  with  faint  traces  of  a  dark  design  on  the  shoulder  (height  7.6 
cm.,  diameter  7  cm.). 

M.  72.  M.  M.  I  side-spouted  jug  of  red  clay  covered  with  a  sort 
of  black  varnish  (height  13.8  cm.,  diameter  13.2  cm.). 


a 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  85 

M.  73.  M.  M.  I  side-spouted  jug  covered  vsdth  dark  paint,  faint 
traces  of  a  white  design  in  oblique  panels  on  shoulder  (height  7.2 
cm.,  diameter  10.8  cm.). 

M.  74.  E.  M.  Ill  side-spouted  jug  (height  14.2  cm.,  diameter 
17.3  cm.).  This  is  a  very  well  preserved  example  of  the  E.  M.  Ill 
light-on-dark  geometric  ware. 

M.  75.  M.  M.  I  example  of  the  same  type  of  jug.  The  body 
is  covered  with  black  paint  much  worn  and  has  an  oblique  panel 
of  incised  chevrons  on  the  shoulder  on  both  sides  of  the  vessel  (height 
11.5  cm.,  diameter  17.5  cm.).  The  M.  M.  vases  of  this  type  differ 
from  their  E.  M.  prototypes  both  as  regards  their  spouts,  which 
are  usually  short,  and  as  regards  the  quality  of  the  black  and  white 
paints,  which  are  less  durable  in  the  later  period. 

The  seventeen  vases  shown  in  Figure  50  are,  for  the  most  part, 
of  M.  M.  I  date. 

M.  76.  E.  M.  II  clay  cup  of  coarse  brown  ware  (height  4.8 
cm.,  diameter  7.6  cm.). 

M.  77.  M.  M.  I  saucer  of  red  clay  (height  2  cm.,  diameter  5.6 
cm.). 

M.  78.  M.  M.  I  cup  of  buff  polished  clay  covered  with  spots  of 
dark  paint  (height  6.2  cm.,  diameter  7.5  cm.). 

M.  79.     Identical  with  No.  77  (height  2.4  cm.,  diameter  5.1  cm.). 

M.  80  (fig.  50  AND  PL.  VIII).  M.  M.  I  jug  covered  with  black 
paint  (height  12.2  cm.,  diameter  9.9  cm.).  The  jug  has  a  band  of 
red  around  the  neck  and  a  design  in  white  on  the  shoulder.  The 
white  design  recalls  the  double  axe  motive  and  is  often  found  in 
the  dark-on-light  E.  M.  II  and  M.  M.  I  wares.' 

M.  81.     Similar  to  No.  79  (height  1.2  cm.,  diameter  5.2  cm.). 

M.  82.  M.  M.  I  cup  with  white  bands  around  the  rim  (height 
5.1  cm.,  diameter  10.4  cm.). 

M.  83.  Like  Nos.  77,  79  and  81  (height  1.7  cm.,  diameter  5.6 
cm.).  These  four  saucers,  with  12  similar  ones,  were  found  together 
in  the  earth  near  Tomb  XVI. 

M.  84.  M.  M.  I  cup  of  polished  buff  clay  (height  7.6  cm., 
diameter  11.6  cm.).  The  design  of  cross-hatched  triangles  in  dark 
paint  is  much  worn. 

'  B.  S.  A.,  Vol.  IX,  p.  95,  Fig.  65.  p. 


86  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

M.  85.  E.  M.  II  "egg-cup"  in  black  ware,  described  under 
Tomb  VIII,  No.  b  (height  9.4  cm.,  diameter  9.2  cm.). 

M.  86.  Clay  cup  of  E.  M.  Ill  date  (height  6.6  cm.,  diameter 
8  cm.). 

M.  87.  E.  M.  n  bowl  of  dark  burnished  ware  with  ridge  handles 
(height  7.1  cm.,  diameter  14.6  cm.). 

M.  88.  Cup  covered  with  dark  paint  and  with  a  white  design  of 
barred  festoons  around  the  rim  (height  6.5  cm.,  diameter  10.6  cm.). 
This  shape  is  characteristic  of  the  M.  M.  I  period,  although  the 
design  bears  a  close  resemblance  to  that  found  on  E.  M.  Ill  cups. 
This  specimen  must  belong  to  the  period  of  transition  between  the 
two  periods. 

M.  89.  E.  M.  Ill  cup  of  common  type  with  much  worn  design 
in  white  on  a  dark  ground  (height  5.1  cm.,  diameter  7.5  cm.). 

M.  90.  Side-spouted  E.  M.  11  jug  of  red  ware,  much  worn 
(height  12.8  cm.,  diameter  18.8  cm.). 

M.  91.  M.  M.  I  bowl  of  polished  buff  clay  (height  6.5  cm., 
diameter  22  cm.). 

M.  92.  M.  M.  I  side-spouted  jug  with  a  band  of  incisions  across 
the  shoulder  (height  10.9  cm.,  diameter  16.4  cm.).  This  jug, 
like  the  cup  No.  M,  88,  belongs  to  the  transitional  period  between 
the  E.  M.  Ill  and  M.  M.  I  epochs. 

Besides  these  71  clay  vases  there  are  136  others  from  various  parts 
of  the  cemetery;  nearly  all  of  these  were  in  very  bad  condition  and 
do  not  require  a  detailed  description.  Most  of  them  lay  near  the 
surface  and  had  suffered  severely  from  centuries  of  winter  rains. 

M.  93-97.     Black  burnished  jugs,  type  of  No.  46  (Fig.  48). 

M.  98-103.     Ladles,  type  of  Nos.  29,  30,  41,  42  (Fig.  48). 

M.  104-106.  Black  burnished  "fruit  stands,"  type  of  Figure  4, 
No.  I,  a. 

M.  107.     Small  side-spouted  jug  similar  to  No.  47  (Fig.  49). 

M.  108-111.  Black  burnished  E.  M.  II  cups,  type  of  No.  27  (Fig. 
48). 

M.  112.  Square  lump  of  clay  pierced  at  the  corners,  type  of 
Nos,  37,  38  (Fig.  48). 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  87 

M.  113-116.     Little  dishes  on  feet,  type  of  No.  34  (Fig.  48). 

M.  117,  118.     Clay  rings  like  No.  35  (Fig.  48). 

M.  119-121.     Round-bodied  cups,  types  of  Nos.  58-60  (Fig.  49). 

M.  122-124.  Small  round-necked  jugs,  type  of  Nos.  51,  52  (Fig. 
49). 

M.  125,  126.     Side-spouted  jugs,  type  of  No.  48  (Fig.  49). 

M.  127,  128.     Two  cups  of  polished  buff  ware. 

M.  129.     Low  open  bowl,  type  of  No.  91  (Fig.  50). 

M.  130.     Spouted  jug,  type  of  No.  49  (Fig.  49). 

M.  131-142.     Little  saucers,  type  of  No.  77  (Fig.  50). 

M,  143.     Side-spouted  jug,  type  of  No.  74  (Fig.  49). 

M.  144-149.     Small  side-spouted  jugs,  type  of  No.  73  (Fig.  49). 

M.  150,  151.     Same,  type  of  Nos.  67,  69,  71  (Fig.  49). 

M.  152-157.     Large  side-spouted  jugs,  type  of  No.  43  (Fig.  48). 

M.  158,  159.     Similar  to  above,  with  mottled  surfaces. 

M.  160-165.     Cups  of  coarse  red  ware. 

M.  166-168.     Side-spouted  jugs,  type  of  No.  22  (Fig.  48). 

M.  169, 170.     Jugs,  type  of  No.  45  (Fig.  48). 

M.  171-173.     Saucers,  type  of  Figure  13,  No.  II,  /. 

M.  174-177.     Cups,  type  of  No.  88  (Fig.  50). 

M.  178,  179,  Polychrome  M.  M.  I  mugs,  type  of  No.  49  (Fig. 
49). 

M.  180-228.  Clay  vessels  of  various  kinds,  so  badly  rotted  as  to 
be  quite  valueless. 

CHILD   BURIALS   OF   THE   M.   M.    Ill   AND   L.   M.   I   PERIODS 

These  curious  burials  were  found  scattered  about  on  various  parts 
of  the  tomb  slope.  The  bodies  had  been  placed  in  inverted  jars 
with  no  protecting  walls  and  at  no  great  depth.  Many  of  the  jars 
had  been  destroyed  in  the  process  of  denudation  which  had  played 
such  havoc  with  some  of  the  built  tombs.     They  were  often  found 


88  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

lying  in  the  surface  soil  over  undisturbed  tombs  of  earlier  date,  so 
that  even  at  the  time  of  interment  it  was  evidently  not  considered 
necessary  to  place  these  jars  at  any  great  depth.  The  few  bones 
that  came  to  light  were,  in  every  case,  those  of  very  young  children, 
and  indeed  some  of  the  jars  were  so  small  that  it  would  have  been 
impossible  for  them  to  contain  anything  larger  than  a  new  born 
infant.     In  no  case  were  any  objects  found  with  the  interments. 

The  bones  were  naturally  very  fragmentary.  In  one  jar  part 
of  the  skull  remained  but  crumbled  to  dust  as  soon  as  the  jar  was 
removed  exposing  it  to  the  air.  In  four  of  the  jars  only  small  frag- 
ments of  bone  remained,  and  in  five  others  all  bones  had  disappeared. 

Fortunately  we  can  date  these  burials  with  perfect  certainty,  as 
seven  out  of  the  fifteen  jars  found  were  painted  in  the  unmistakable 
L.  M.  I  style.  Of  the  remaining  eight  jars  only  one  was  painted, 
but  the  shapes  are  all  characteristic  of  the  M.  M.  Ill  period.  Only 
nine  of  the  fifteen  jars  were  found  in  situ.  The  remainder,  much 
broken,  were  scattered  about  the  hillside  in  the  surface  soil  and  had 
suffered  badly  from  exposure.  Four  jars  had  their  painted  surfaces 
fairly  well  preserved.  The  two  best  are  shown  in  Plate  XI  and  in 
Figure  51. 

Figure  51  is  a  very  fine  example  of  the  M.  M.  Ill  monochrone 
light-on-dark  style  (height  48  cm.,  diameter  40  cm.).  The  design 
is  a  favorite  one  in  this  and  the  succeeding  period.  The  pairs  of 
incised  double  axes  between  the  handles  were  picked  out  with  a 
border  of  white  dots,  which  have  almost  entirely  disappeared.  The 
chain  motive  around  the  neck  is  of  very  early  origin  and  can  be 
traced  back  to  the  E.  M.  Ill  period.' 

Plate  XI  is  a  very  fine  jar  of  the  L.  M.  I  style  and  belongs  to  the 
early  part  of  that  period.  The  ripple  design  which  covers  the  base 
seldom  appears  toward  the  end  of  the  L.  M.  I  age  and  is  more  char- 
acteristic of  the  preceding  M.  M.  Ill  style.  The  profuse  use  of 
white  paint  also  tends  to  place  this  jar  in  the  transitional  stage  which 
divides  the  M.  M.  Ill  and  L.  M.  I  periods.  Unfortunately  the  paint 
is  badly  worn,  but  enough  remains  to  give  one  a  vivid  idea  of  the 
splendid  effect  of  this  jar  in  its  original  state.  The  curious  designs 
in  white  on  the  broad  black  band  around  the  middle  are  unique  and 
not  easily  described.  A  good  deal  of  red  paint  is  employed,  espe- 
cially in  the  band  just  below  the  handles,  which  shows  that  the  tra- 
dition of  M.  M.  polychromy  still  exercised  a  strong  influence  on  the 
slowly  developing  L.  M.  I  style.     The  shape  is  unusual  in  the  L.  M. 

•  Tratu..  Vol.  I.  Part  III,  PI.  XXVII.  Nos.  15,  16;  PI.  XXVUI,  Nos.  19.  20.  83;  PL 
XXX,  Nos.  4,  6.  14,  15;  and  PI.  XXXIII.  Nos.  5.  8. 


KlCIIKK     'il.       M      M.    Ill     Hi   HI  U,    .iMi.       SCM.F.    1   :  ."> 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  89 

I  period  and  seems  to  be  a  sort  of  compromise  between  the  tall 
slender  M.  M.  Ill  type  and  the  round-bodied  L.  M.  I  jars  (height 
56  cm.,  diameter  39.5  cm.). 

At  Mochlos  ■  and  at  Pseira  ^  a  class  of  rippled  ware  seems  to  have 
appeared  sometime  in  the  M.  M.  Ill  period  and  to  have  attained 
great  popularity.  As  the  true  L.  M.  I  style  begins  to  make  itself 
felt,  this  rippled  ware  partially,  though  not  entirely,  disappears 
before  the  wave  of  naturalism  which  overwhelms  the  conventional 
decorative  designs  of  the  M.  M.  period.  In  this  jar  one  sees  the  three 
styles — the  polychrome,  the  ripple  and  the  naturalistic — all  used 
together. 

The  two  other  painted  jars  which  were  fairly  well  preserved  are 
almost  identical  with  that  represented  in  A.  J.  A.,  Vol.  XIII,  p.  298, 
Figure  19.  This  is  the  fully  developed  local  L.  M.  I  style,  and  jars 
of  this  shape  with  similar  designs  were  very  common  in  these  small 
Minoan  towns  of  Eastern  Crete.  In  fact,  five  were  found  at  Pseira' 
in  1907  and  two  in  the  Mochlos  houses  in  1908.  One  or  two  examples 
were  found  at  Gournia  in  1904.* 

A   LATE  MINOAN   I   BURIAL 

In  the  surface  soil  over  Tomb  IX  the  first  strokes  of  the  pick 
uncovered  the  much  rotted  remains  of  a  small  bronze  bowl  which 
proved  to  belong  to  an  L.  M.  I  burial.  There  was  no  sign  of  enclos- 
ing walls  nor,  with  the  exception  of  a  group  of  objects  lying  close 
together  near  the  surface,  anything  that  indicated  an  interment.  The 
bones  had  entirely  disappeared,  and  it  is  impossible  to  say  whether 
the  burial  was  that  of  an  adult  or  merely  one  of  the  child  burials 
which  were  found  scattered  about  this  slope  over  the  earlier  graves. 
Doubtless  a  certain  number  of  objects  must  have  been  swept  away 
by  the  action  of  the  winter  rains,  and  the  few  vases  remaining  had 
suffered  so  badly  that  it  was  possible  to  preserve  only  one  of  them, 
which  is  shown  in  Figure  26,  A  (height  3.6  cm.,  diameter  13.5  cm.). 
These  vases,  three  in  number,  were  shallow  bronze  bowls  of  much  the 
same  size,  unengraved  and  of  very  thin  metal.  No  pottery  was  found 
and  only  two  small  objects  came  to  light.  These  suffice,  however,  to 
fix  the  date  of  the  interment.  One  of  them,  the  gold  signet  ring  of 
Figure  52,  is  the  most  valuable  object  yielded  by  the  cemetery  of 
Mochlos.  Although  it  is  of  small  size,  the  preservation  and  workman- 
ship are  so  admirable  that  this  ring  must  rank  with  the  best  rings 

I  A.  J.  A..  Vol.  XIII,  p.  «84  and  PI.  VIII.  ■  Anth.  Publ..  Vol.  Ill,  No.  1,  p.  80. 

•Anth.  Publ.,  Vol.  III.  No.  1,  p.  3S.  Fig.  14.         •  Ooumia.  PI.  IX.  No.  tSa  and  PI.  K. 


90  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

of  the  kind  from  Mycenae  and  other  sites  on  the  Greek  mainland. 
Few  such  rings  have  as  yet  come  to  light  in  Crete  and  these  few  are 
in  no  way  remarkable  either  for  workmanship  or  good  preservation.' 

The  importance  of  this  signet  lies  in  the  curious  scene  engraved 
on  the  bezel.  Most  of  this  class  of  rings  bear  cult  scenes,  and  this 
specimen  is  no  exception  to  the  rule,  although  it  presents  several 
new  and  unusual  features.  The  goddess,  who  so  often  figures  on 
the  rings  from  the  mainland,  is  shown  in  a  new  aspect,  namely,  as 
arriving  in  her  ceremonial  barge  at  a  rocky  shore  on  which  stands  a 
small  building,  evidently  the  usual  pillar  shrine.  The  barge  has  a 
high  curved  stern  carved  to  represent  a  dog's  head,  and  the  bow 
resembles  a  fish's  tail.  The  shape  of  the  boat  may  refer  to  a  tradi- 
tion that  the  goddess  first  reached  the  Minoan  land  riding  on  the 
back  of  a  sea  monster  who  had  carried  her  across  the  sea  to  her  new 
home.  At  any  rate  there  is  good  reason  to  suppose  that  we  see  here 
the  type  of  sacred  barge  supposed  to  be  peculiar  to  the  Cretan 
Mother  Goddess.  That  the  figure  in  the  boat  is  that  of  a  woman  is 
probable,  judging  by  her  ample  form.^  Her  sacred  tree,  apparently 
a  fig  as  pointed  out  by  Dr.  Evans,  grows  out  of  a  throne-like 
structure  which  may  represent  the  railed  enclosure  by  which  it 
was  always  surrounded.' 

The  goddess,  who  is  seated  with  her  right  hand  resting  on  this 
raihng,  is  waving  her  left  towards  the  pillar  shrine  from  which  a 
curious  flaming  symbol  appears  to  be  flying  toward  her.* 

All  three  symbols  in  the  field  are  entirely  new  to  Minoan  cult 
scenes  and  difficult  of  interpretation.     The  flaming  object  bears  a 

>  Since  this  was  written,  a  fine  ring  of  this  sort  has  been  found  in  one  of  the  Royal  Tombs 
at  Knossos. 

'  Since  I  wrote  the  above,  doubts  have  been  cast  on  the  sex  of  the  figure  in  the  boat.  The 
ring  is  of  such  small  size  and  the  carving  so  minute  that  the  artist  did  not  attempt  to  do  more 
than  show  that  the  figure  was  meant  to  be  human.  The  question  partly  hangs  on  whether 
the  figure  is  clothed.  It  rarely,  if  ever,  occurs  that  the  Minoan  goddess  is  shown  in  an  abso- 
lutely nude  state,  though  she  sometimes  appears  clad  in  nothing  but  a  short  flounced  skirt. 
Certainly  on  the  Moehlos  ring  it  is  difficult  to  distinguish  any  signs  of  a  garment  unless  it  be 
a  belt  around  the  waist,  which  is  pinched  in  after  the  Minoan  fashion.  There  seems  to  be  a 
faint  attempt  to  indicate  female  breasts,  but  the  question  of  sex  must  remain  an  open  one  for 
the  present.  Personally  I  believe  the  figure  to  be  that  of  a  goddess.  The  Minoan  male 
deity  seems  to  have  occupied  a  very  secondary  position  in  the  Minoan  pantheon,  and  it  is  not 
likely  that  here  he  should  have  been  made  not  merely  the  principal  but  the  only  figure  in  a 
scene  of  e^dently  religious  significance.  The  sacred  tree  which  figures  in  the  scene  is  always 
an  attribute  of  the  female  divinity  and  usually  appears  in  all  cult  scenes  where  the  goddess 
plays  a  leading  part. 

»  Mycenaean  Tree  and  Pillar  Cult,  p.  4. 

<  Another  point  of  discussion  is  what  idea  the  artist  wished  to  convey  by  the  attitude  of 
the  goddess's  left  arm  and  hand.  To  the  Anglo-Saxon  mind  it  at  once  conveys  the  idea  of 
beckoning,  but  as  Prof.  H.  N.  Fowler  has  pointed  out  to  me,  it  is  customary  in  Crete  and 
the  southeast  of  Europe  at  the  present  time  to  beckon  with  the  fingers  pointing  down.  This  I 
believe  was  also  the  habit  in  classic  Greece.  Customs  of  this  sort  are  less  likely  to  be  changed 
than  almost  any  others  by  the  course  of  time,  so  it  is  quite  possible  that  in  Minoan  times  they 
beckoned  downwards,  in  which  case  the  motions  of  the  goddess  are  not  very  intelligible. 


o 


a 

a 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  91 

strong  resemblance  to  a  figure  8  shield  lying  on  its  side.  The  small 
object  immediately  above  it  might  be  almost  anything.  The  third 
and  last  symbol  may  be  meant  for  a  quadruple  axe  such  as  is  shown 
on  the  sarcophagus  from  Hagia  Triada.'  In  the  case  of  the  symbol  on 
the  Mochlos  ring  the  vertical  position  of  the  object  is  quite  unlike 
the  usual  representation  of  the  axe  in  Minoan  cult  scenes. 

In  other  respects  this  ring  follows  the  usual  type  of  Late  Minoan 
rings  of  this  sort  and,  from  the  small  size  of  the  hoop,  was  probably 
used  only  as  a  signet.  The  hoop  measures  1.2  cm.  by  9  mm.  and,  if 
worn  at  all,  could  only  have  belonged  to  a  child.  The  field  measures 
1  by  2  cm. 

This  ring,  like  nearly  all  others  of  its  class,  is  probably  not  of  solid 
gold  but  is  merely  a  shell  of  that  metal  over  a  core  of  some  other 
material.  These  cores  are  usually  of  bronze,  but  in  the  case  of  this 
ring  the  preservation  is  so  excellent  that  there  is  no  means,  short  of 
cutting  through  the  gold  itself,  of  telling  what  may  underlie  the 
covering.  That  the  design  is  not  cut  in  solid  metal  is  clear,  as  there 
are  no  sharp  edges  as  would  be  the  case  if  this  technique  had  been 
employed.  This  is  one  of  the  best  means  of  detecting  forgeries  in 
rings  of  this  kind,  as  in  the  forgery  the  design  is  usually  carved  in 
solid  gold  and  shows  sharp  ragged  edges  when  examined  with  a 
glass.  The  usual  method,  which  seems  to  have  been  the  one 
employed  in  making  the  ring,  was  to  carve  the  design  in  the  core 
and  then  work  the  gold  covering  into  the  carving  from  the  out- 
side. 

The  remaining  object  from  this  burial  is  an 
amygdaloid  hematite  seal,  Figure  53.  Dr. 
Evans  tells  me  that  this  is  a  type  of  gem 
common  in  the  L.  M.  II  period  and  that  it 
probably  represents  a  conventionalized  lion 
mask.     The  ring  would  naturally  be  placed 

in  this  same  period,  but  in  these  eastern  towns  L.  M.  I  art  was  still 
flourishing  when  Knossos  was  producing  objects  of  the  L.  M.  II  stj'le. 
The  blow  which  fell  shortly  afterwards  wiped  the  eastern  towns  out 
of  existence  before  they  had  adopted  the  styles  characteristic  of  the 
L.  M.  II  period.  At  Mochlos  no  L.  M.  II  settlement  came  to  light, 
although  shortly  before  the  town  was  destroyed  L.  M.  II  vases 
began  to  be  imported  from  ICnossos,  the  chief  centre  of  artistic 
development.^ 

Therefore  we  must  class  the  signet  ring  and  the  hematite  seal 

'  Paribeni,  Hon.  Ant..  Vol.  XIX.  1908,  pp.  l-«6.  '  A.  J.  A..  Vol.  XIII,  p.  iS5. 


92  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

with  the  L.  M.  I  objects  from  Mochlos,  although  they  doubtless 
date  from  the  end  of  the  period.' 

The  Pottery  from  the  Cemetery 

In  all  about  265  clay  vases  were  found  in  the  cemetery  of  Mochlos, 
but  of  these  nearly  half  were  in  a  very  bad  state  of  preservation. 
Most  of  them  belong  to  the  E.  M.  II  and  E.  M.  Ill  periods.  There 
are  a  few  M.  M.  I  and  M.  M.  Ill  vases,  whereas  the  L.  M.  I  period 
is  represented  solely  by  the  big  jars  containing  the  child  burials. 

THE    E.    M.    I    period 

A  large  deposit  of  this  period  was  found  underlying  the  big  cham- 
ber tomb  No.  V,  but  the  vases  were  all  so  fragmentary  that  only  the 
smaller  ones  could  be  pieced  together.  The  many  baskets  of  pot- 
sherds from  this  deposit  contained  parts  of  only  one  painted  vase, 
which  belonged  to  the  geometrical  dark-on-light  style  of  the  first 
part  of  the  E.  M.  II  period.  The  rest  of  the  fragments  were  of  red  or 
black  clay,  sometimes  burnished,  but  more  often  not.  The  clay  is 
very  coarse  in  quality  and  the  vases  badly  made.  The  black  ware  is, 
as  a  rule,  of  better  workmanship  than  the  red  and  was  used  chiefly 
for  goblets  and  round-bodied  bowls  with  suspension  handles.  Most 
of  the  unpolished  vases  had  been  pared  into  the  required  shape  by 
some  dull  instrument  which,  instead  of  cutting  the  clay  cleanly,  has 
dragged  it  open,  leaving  holes  and  imperfections  over  the  entire  sur- 
face of  the  vessel.  All  this  ware  was  handmade  and  in  the  cruder 
examples  one  can  see  finger  marks  where  the  potter  had  handled  the 
vessel  while  the  clay  was  still  moist.  No  incised  ware  was  found  in 
this  deposit,  and  although  some  of  the  burnished  sherds  might  pass 
for  true  neolithic  ware  both  in  shape  and  finish,  it  is  clear  that  they 
belong  really  to  the  period  of  transition  which  lay  between  the 
incised  neolithic  ware  and  the  geometrical  painted  pottery  of  the 
E.  M.  II  period.  The  presence  of  a  very  few  fragments  of  beaked 
jugs  shows  that  this  deposit,  though  containing  many  neolithic 
types,  immediately  precedes  the  E.  M.  II  age,  when  such  jugs  make 
their  first  appearance.  This  deposit  possesses  a  peculiar  interest, 
as  it  is  the  first  of  its  kind  found  on  or  near  the  Isthmus  of  Hiera- 
petra;  it  shows  the  close  relationship  of  the  E.  M.  II  and  the  neolithic 

'  Unfortunately  this  ring  was  stolen  from  the  Candia  Museum  in  1910,  and  although  the 
Cretan  government  offered  a  liberal  reward  for  its  recovery,  as  yet  nothing  ha.s  been  heard 
of  it. 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  93 

periods,  between  which  it  acts  as  a  connecting  link,  partaking  of 
the  characteristics  of  both  yet  clearly  belonging  to  neither. 

The  best  preserved  objects  from  this  deposit  are  shown  in  Figure 
48,  Nos.  29-42.  The  shape  which  occurred  most  frequently  was 
that  of  a  clay  spoon  or  ladle  like  Nos.  29,  30,  41  and  42.  This  sort 
of  ladle  is  never  met  with  in  E.  M.  II  deposits  and  must  be  either  a 
survival  from  the  neolithic  period  or  else  a  product  peculiar  to  E. 
M.  I  potters.  These  ladles  are  always  of  reddish  clay,  unburnished, 
and  are  often  covered  with  a  sort  of  reddish  wash.  The  horn-like 
object  No.  31  appears  to  be  an  early  example  of  the  "horns  of 
consecration"  although  one  would  hardly  expect  to  find  them  ap- 
pearing as  a  cult  object  in  so  early  a  period.  In  the  illustration 
(Fig.  48),  they  might  also  be  taken  for  a  boat,  but  the  fact  that  the 
outside  surface  is  slightly  crescent  shaped  and  the  back  quite  flat 
makes  this  theory  improbable.  Three  small  votive  double  axes,  one 
of  bronze  (Fig.  12,  No.  II,  46)  and  two  of  lead,  found  in  Tomb  II, 
in  an  unmistakable  E.  M.  II  deposit,  would  tend  to  prove  that  these 
cult  objects  had  their  origin  at  a  much  earlier  date  than  would  have 
been  believed  possible. 

Nos.  32  and  33  (Fig.  48)  belong  to  a  type  common  in  this  E.  M.  I 
ware  and  their  use  is  not  easy  to  determine.  They  are  made  with  a 
hollow  stem  of  clay  and  a  broad  flaring  rim.  No.  32  contained  a 
bit  of  coarse  linen  and  a  tiny  piece  of  bronze  or  copper,  which 
shows  that  metal  was  not  unknown  in  this  period. 

No.  34  is  another  common  shape  which  has  been  discussed  in  con- 
nection with  No.  I,  a,  of  Tomb  I  (Fig.  4).  A  number  of  coarse  clay 
cups,  Nos.  36  and  39,  were  found,  and  these  cups,  together  with  the 
curious  vessels,  Nos.  32,  33  and  34,  would  incline  one  to  the  belief 
that  this  was  a  place  of  offering,  as  these  vases  could  never  have 
served  any  practical  household  use.  This  would  help  to  explain 
the  presence  of  so  large  a  deposit  of  pottery  on  the  very  edge  of  the 
cliffs  in  a  place  unsuitable  for  dwelling  houses.  We  know,  also,  from 
similar  objects  found  among  the  Mochlos  houses,  that  the  people 
of  this  period  had  their  dwellings  on  the  same  site  as  that  occupied 
by  the  later  town.'  It  is  quite  possible  that  in  the  E.  M.  I  age 
this  slope  was  already  in  use  as  a  burial  place  and  that  these  vases 
were  the  offerings  to  the  dead.  No  grave  of  the  period  came  to  light, 
but  in  the  construction  of  the  three  large  chamber  tombs  Nos.  IV, 
V  and  VI  in  the  E.  M.  II  period,  the  westernmost  of  which.  No.  V, 
overlay  this  mass  of  sherds,  the  E.  M.  I  graves  as  well  as  a  great 
part  of  the  pottery  deposit  may  have  been  swept  away. 

'A.J.  A..  Vol.  XIII,  p.  279. 


94  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

Nos.  35  and  40  (Fig.  48)  are  clay  rings  of  which  many  fragmentary 
examples  were  found.  They  probably  served  to  support  round- 
bottomed  vases  which,  if  we  may  judge  by  the  scarcity  of  flat  bases 
among  these  sherds,  must  have  been  the  usual  type. 

Nos.  37  and  38  are  roughly  rectangular  lumps  of  clay  pierced  at 
each  corner  with  vertical  holes  for  suspension.  Similar  objects 
were  found  on  the  town  site  in  E.  M.  I  strata.  Like  the  ladles  and 
the  curious  little  vessels,  Nos.  32-34,  their  use  is  difficult  to  imagine, 
as,  when  suspended,  they  must  have  been  at  best  clumsy  affairs  cap- 
able of  containing  little  or  nothing. 

The  remaining  shapes  from  this  deposit  are  represented  only  by 
fragments.  There  are  the  necks  of  three  jugs  like  No.  45  (Fig.  48). 
Many  pieces  of  plates  and  saucers  were  found,  also  a  number  of 
broken  goblets  of  black  burnished  ware  of  the  same  general  type  as 
No.  VI,  11  (Fig.  23)  from  Tomb  Yl  and  those  from  the  town  of 
Mochlos  '  and  from  Gournia.^ 

A  few  parts  of  "fruit  stands"  (Fig.  37,  No.  XVI,  10)  were  found; 
but  the  surface  was  never  so  highly  burnished  as  in  the  specimens 
from  the  E.  M.  II  and  III  graves.  Such  vessels  in  fine  grey  clay 
were  found  at  Gournia  in  early  deposits.' 

A  few  handles  and  bits  of  necks  appear  to  have  belonged  to  vases 
like  those  from  Tomb  V,  Figure  18,  No.  V,  b,  and  No.  87  of  Figure  50. 

No  piece  of  mottled  ware  was  found  in  the  entire  deposit  and  only 
an  occasional  sherd  of  the  highly  polished  buff  ware  of  the  E.  M.  II 
period. 

Certainly  this  E.  M.  I  ware  is  very  inferior  to  the  best  neolithic 
ware  of  Knossos,  which  has  never  been  found  thus  far  in  Eastern 
Crete.  The  earliest  strata  on  these  small  sites  always  belong  to  this 
intermediate  type  and  must  date  from  the  period  of  expansion  when, 
quitting  the  large  neolithic  centres  in  which  they  had  established 
themselves  on  first  reaching  Crete,  the  Minoans  began  to  spread 
over  the  island  in  search  of  new  homes.  This  scattering  of  the 
inhabitants  may  have  been  due  to  the  overcrowding  of  such  neolithic 
centres  as  Knossos  and  Phaistos  or  simply  to  the  desire  to  bring  the 
rest  of  the  island  under  cultivation,  but  it  is  a  noticeable  fact  that 
all  these  small  settlements  sprang  into  being  at  about  the  same  time, 
that  is  to  say,  shortly  before  the  end  of  the  E.  M.  I  period.  Another 
reason  for  the  sudden  populating  of  these  hitherto  uninhabited 
areas  may  have  been  a  migratory  movement  which  brought  into  the 
island  a  new  influx  of  people  of  the  same  race  as  those  so  long  estab- 

>  A.  J.  A..  Vol.  XIII,  p.  279,  Fig.  2.  No.  1.  »  Gournia,  PI.  XII,  No.  12. 

•  Gournia,  p.  56,  Fig.  37,  No.  8. 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  95 

lished  at  neolithic  Knossos.  The  culture  is  evidently  the  same  as 
that  of  Knossos,  but  is  not  so  highly  developed  as  one  would  have 
expected  had  the  settlers  of  these  eastern  towns  come  directly  from 
Knossos  itself.  If,  however,  they  were  outsiders  of  the  same  race, 
their  culture,  though  the  same  in  all  main  points,  had  evidently 
remained  in  a  more  backward  state  than  that  of  their  Knossian 
kinsmen.  Once  settled  on  Cretan  soil  this  less-developed  culture 
soon  made  up  for  lost  time  and  by  the  beginning  of  the  E.  M.  II 
period  was  on  a  par  with  that  of  the  larger  and  older  Minoan  centres. 
So  far  little  or  no  excavating  has  been  done  in  the  interior  of 
Eastern  Crete.  Almost  all  the  sites  examined  have  been  on  the 
coast  line,  and  none  show  signs  of  having  been  occupied  before  the 
beginning  of  the  E.  M.  I  age.  It  is  possible  that  excavations  may 
reveal  the  presence  of  a  neolithic  population  in  Eastern  Crete,  living 
at  some  distance  from  the  sea  for  purposes  of  safety,  for  it  is  probable 
that  only  with  the  growth  of  the  Early  Minoan  power  were  the 
inhabitants  enabled  to  descend  from  the  hills  and  establish  settle- 
ments on  the  coast.  Near  the  Isthmus  of  Hierapetra  there  are,  at 
present,  no  evidences  of  neolithic  sites;  even  Vasiliki,  which  lay 
nearly  three  miles  inland  and  was  evidently  a  place  of  importance 
in  the  Early  Minoan  period,  shows  no  signs  of  having  existed  in 
the  neolithic  age.'  At  Palaikastro  there  is  some  evidence  of  a  neo- 
lithic population  living  back  from  the  coast,  for  in  1905  a  neolithic 
settlement  was  discovered  at  Magasd.^  This  village  lies  on  the  high 
limestone  plateau  which  rises  to  the  south  of  Palaikastro  and  forms 
the  central  part  of  the  extreme  east  of  Crete.  From  all  the  district 
about  Magasd  the  excavators  at  Palaikastro  obtained  numbers  of 
stone  axes.  We  know  that  stone  axes  were  still  used  in  the  early 
part  of  the  copper  age  in  various  parts  of  Europe,  but  that  they 
rapidly  disappeared  once  a  knowledge  of  metal  working  was  acquired. 
A  few  stone  axes  from  a  site  could  not  be  taken  as  certain  evidence 
that  the  site  dated  from  the  neolithic  period,  but  when  such  axes 
are  found  in  large  numbers,  all  coming  from  one  district,  it  is  natural 
to  look  for  neolithic  settlements  in  that  neighborhood.  The  exca- 
vation at  Magasd  yielded  but  few  objects,  all  of  undoubted  neoli- 
thic origin,  and  it  is  possible  that  further  excavations  would  prove 
that  the  central  portion  of  Eastern  Crete  had  an  extensive  neolithic 
population  contemporaneous  with  the  flourishing  neolithic  centres 
of  Central  Crete. 

>  Since  the  above  was  written,  a  few  sherds  of  apparently  neolithic  manufacture  were  dis- 
covered in  11)10  in  the  (iournia  cemetery.  The  sherds  are  so  fragmentary  tliat  their  neolithic 
origin  cannot  be  held  as  proved. 

•  B.  S.  A..  Vol.  XI,  p.  2C0. 


96  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

THE   E.   M.    II   PERIOD 

Numerous  vases  of  the  E.  M.  II  period  were  found.  They  are 
interesting  inasmuch  as  most  of  them  belong  to  the  earlier  part  of 
the  E.  M.  II  age,  before  the  mottled  ware  attained  its  great  popu- 
larity. Many  of  the  dark  burnished  vases  show  close  aflBnities  to 
the  ware  of  the  preceding  E.  M.  I  period  just  described,  although  a 
number  of  new  shapes  have  come  into  use.  The  best  vases  are  those 
belonging  to  the  early  geometrical  dark-on-light  style,  of  which  the 
chamber  tombs  produced  several  very  fine  examples  in  a  good  state 
of  preservation.  The  saucer  of  Figures  7  and  13,  No.  II,  I,  is  one 
of  the  best  of  this  class  and,  in  quality  of  clay  and  paint,  bears  com- 
parison with  any  of  the  later  Minoan  fabrics;  its  design  is  charac- 
teristic of  the  geometrical  dark-on-light  style,  examples  of  which 
were  found  at  Gournia  and  Vasiliki  in  1905.'  Latticed  figures  re- 
sembling double  axes  are  often  found  at  Knossos  on  a  closely  corre- 
sponding M.  M.  I  ware,  which  evidently  owes  much  to  this  E.  M.  II 
technique.  In  these  Knossian  M.  M.  I  examples  the  design  takes 
rather  an  extreme  and  elongated  form  and  has  been  called  by  its 
discoverers  the  "  butterfly  "  pattern.'  It  had  been  thought  heretofore 
that  the  religious  symbol  of  the  double-axe  did  not  occur  before  the 
M.  M.  Ill  age,  but  since  such  votive  axes  in  bronze  and  lead  were 
found  at  Mochlos  in  an  Early  Minoan  II  tomb  (p.  36),  there  seems 
no  reason  to  doubt  that  not  only  the  M.  M.  I  "butterfly"  ornaments, 
but  also  the  designs  on  this  saucer  are  meant  to  represent  this  sym- 
bol. Festoons  like  those  on  the  rim  of  the  saucer  are  to  be  seen  on 
a  cup  from  Tomb  VI  (Figs.  22,  23,  No.  VI,  6)  and  are  common  both 
in  E.  M.  Ill  and  M.  M.  I  wares.'  The  jug  of  Figures  4  and  13,  No. 
I,  b,  bears  a  design  of  cross-hatched  triangles  frequently  noted  in 
the  ware  of  this  period  from  Vasiliki.  Vases  of  the  geometrical  E.  M. 
II  style  have  also  been  found  at  Zakro,*  Palaikastro,*  Phaistos, 
Hagia  Triada,'  Koumasa,  Porti  and  other  sites,  of  many  of  which 
no  complete  account  has  yet  been  published. 

Of  the  typical  E.  M.  II  mottled  vases  very  few  specimens  were 
found,  and  most  of  those,  owing  to  the  peculiar  action  of  the  soil, 
had  entirely  lost  their  painted  surfaces.  It  would  seem  that  few  of 
them  possessed  the  brilliant  mottling  of  the  Vasiliki  vases.  Plain 
burnished  red  ware  occurred  more  frequently. 

1  Gournia,  PI.  XII,  Nos.  20,  a.  6,  25-33  and  PI.  A,  No.  3. 

•  B.  S.  A..  Vol.  IX,  p.  95,  Fig.  65,  p. 

•  A.  J.  A.,  Vol.  XIII,  p.  292,  Fig.  13,  No.  2  of  top  row;  Traru.,  Vol.  II,  Part  2,  p.  126, 
Fig.  9,  a. 

« B.  S.  A.,  Vol.  VII,  p.  144,  Fig.  52.  '  B.  S.  A.,  Vol.  X.  p.  196. 

•  Mon.  Ant..  Vol.  XXI,  PI.  IX,  Figs.  21.  22. 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  97 

No.  44  (Fig.  48),  belonging  to  this  period,  is  a  curious  mixture 
of  the  dark-on-hght,  the  mottled  and  the  incised  styles;  the  upright 
triangles  of  dark  paint  present  a  mottled  surface  and  are  separated 
from  one  another  by  double  rows  of  dots  incised  in  the  clay  of  the 
vase,  a  reminiscence  of  the  preceding  incised  wares. 

No.  24  (Fig.  48)  is  the  prototype  of  the  straight-sided  E.  M.  Ill 
and  M.  M.  I  cups.  No.  27  is  derived  from  the  E.  M.  I  cups,  Nos. 
36  and  39.  No.  28  is  also  an  early  shape,  more  common  in  stone 
than  in  clay.  The  goblet  type  (Figs.  22,  23,  No.  VI,  11)  is  of  very 
early  origin  and  lasted  from  neolithic  times  into  the  E.  M.  II  period. 
This  specimen  is  of  fine  grey  clay  similar  to  that  used  for  the  incised 
sub-neolithic  vases  of  the  first  part  of  E.  M.  II  age. 

THE   E.   M.    Ill   PERIOD 

The  pottery  of  the  E.  M.  Ill  period,  though  found  in  large  quan- 
tities, was  for  the  most  part  in  a  bad  state  of  preservation.  Both 
the  white  and  the  black  paint  had  suffered  from  the  action  of  the  soil 
and  the  examples,  as  a  whole,  are  inferior  to  those  found  on  the  town 
site. 

The  shapes  and  designs  differ  but  little  from  those  already  known 
from  the  excavations  at  Vasiliki,  Gournia  and  Pseira.  The  examples 
from  the  cemetery  cover  the  entire  period  from  its  earliest  stages 
to  the  beginning  of  the  M.  M.  I  age.  At  the  close  of  the  E.  M.  Ill 
period  the  vases  so  closely  resemble  those  of  the  M.  M.  I  epoch  that 
it  is  very  difficult  to  say  where  one  style  ends  and  the  other  begins; 
certain  types  seem  characteristic  of  both  periods. 

No.  XXI,  5  (Fig.  46),  one  of  the  earliest  vases  of  this  period,  is 
very  primitive  in  shape  and  appearance.  It  closely  resembles,  in 
form,  some  of  the  Trojan  vases  of  the  third  city.^  The  body  paint 
shows  the  mottled  surface  of  the  E.  M.  II  style  but  without  the  usual 
polishing.  The  white  geometrical  design  places  it  early  in  the  E. 
M.  Ill  period. 

No.  XVI,  8  (Fig.  37)  bears  a  white  design  very  characteristic 
of  the  E.  M.  Ill  age.  The  shape  is  not  of  early  origin  and  is  never 
found  in  E.  M.  II  deposits.  Among  M.  M.  I  vases  it  is  very  common 
and  on  the  whole  must  be  regarded  as  a  development  of  the  side- 
spouted  E.  M.  II  jugs,  which  last  into  the  M.  M.  I  period. 

No.  IV,  2  (Figs.  18,  19)  is  a  shape  unusual  in  E.  M.  Ill  deposits 
and  is  evidently  the  prototype  of  M.  M.  I  cups  of  similar  form.    No. 

•  Ddrpfeld,  Troja  und  Ilion,  Vol.  I,  p.  263,  Fig.  13«. 


98  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

V,  b  (Fig.  18)  shows  the  early  incised  pattern  of  dots  from  which  the 
painted  design  on  this  cup  is  derived. 

Of  the  cups  of  Figure  49,  Nos.  56-63,  the  straight -sided  ones  are 
derived  from  an  E.  M.  II  type  (Fig.  48,  No.  24),  whereas  the  round- 
bodied  cups  resemble  those  found  in  the  E.  M.  I  deposit  (Fig.  48, 
Nos.  36,  39),  although  this  shape  rarely  appears  in  the  intervening 
E.  M.  II  period. 

THE   M.    M.    I   PERIOD 

The  M.  M.  I  period  was  as  poorly  represented  in  the  cemetery  as 
on  other  Minoan  sites  near  the  Isthmus  of  Hierapetra,  where  poly- 
chrome ware  was  of  very  rare  occurrence.  With  the  beginning  of 
the  M.  M.  I  age  it  seems  that  we  must  turn  from  the  settlements 
in  Eastern  Crete  to  the  great  palace  sites  of  Knossos  and  Phaistos 
for  our  knowledge  of  the  period.  Although  polychrome  ware  was 
found  at  Mochlos  in  only  a  small  quantity,  and  even  then  badly 
preserved,  there  are  a  good  many  examples  of  the  contemporary 
geometrical  dark-on-light  M.  M.  I  ware  which  closely  resembles 
the  earlier  style  of  the  E.  M.  II  period.  In  Figure  49,  Nos. 
66-71,  six  vases  of  this  class  are  shown.  They  always  possess  the 
same  highly  polished  buff  surface  which  characterizes  the  E.  M.  II 
ware  so  that  when  there  is  no  painted  design  the  shape  alone  indi- 
cates to  which  period  they  belong.  The  designs  of  the  M.  M.  I 
painted  examples  are  more  stereotyped  and  present  less  variety  than 
do  those  of  the  E.  M.  II  vases.  No  specimens  from  Mochlos  show 
the  latticed  triangles  and  similar  figures  so  common  in  the  E.  M.  II 
period.  At  Knossos  such  latticed  figures  survived  in  the  "  butterfly  " 
pattern  already  mentioned  on  p.  96.  At  Mochlos  the  designs  are 
usually  sets  of  obliquely  curving  lines  (Figs.  32  and  33,  No.  XIII,  h), 
scrolls  (Fig.  37,  No.  XVI,  9),  and  waves  of  paint  (Fig.  49,  Nos.  67 
and  69).  The  shapes  of  Nos.  67,  69  and  71  (Fig.  49)  are  degenerate 
forms  of  the  E.  M.  11  side-spouted  jugs. 

In  Figure  49,  Nos.  51-53  and  55  are  of  M.  M.  I  date;  Nos.  51 
and  52  are  of  a  shape  which  occurred  frequently  in  this  cemetery, 
but  which  is  not  common  elsewhere.  No.  55  is  evidently  derived 
from  an  E.  M.  Ill  tj-pe  (Fig.  19,  No.  IV,  2).  No.  84  (Fig.  50)  is 
a  characteristic  M.  M.  I  shape  which  originated  in  the  E.  M.  II 
period  1  and  after  lasting  through  the  E.  M.  HI  epoch  (Fig.  49, 
Nos.  56,  57,  61,  62  and  63)  emerged  in  this  form. 

No.  91  (Fig.  50)  is  the  clay  representative  of  the  black  steatite 
bowls  which  first  appear  in  the  M.  M.  I  period  and  are  very 

I  Tratu..  Vol.  I,  Part  III,  PI.  XXXTV,  No.  8. 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  99 

common  throughout  the  whole  Middle  Minoan  age  (Fig.  18,  No. 
IV,  1). 

The  two  vases  of  Plate  VIII,  Nos.  XI,  13,  16,  are  the  best  and 
almost  the  only  examples  of  polychrome  ware  from  the  cemetery. 
The  bull  from  this  same  tomb  (Fig.  29,  No.  XI,  14),  although  a 
poor  and  clumsy  attempt  at  animal  modeling,  is  interesting  because 
it  proves  that  the  custom  of  making  such  clay  bulls  arose  at  an  early 
date  and  was  by  no  means  confined  to  the  L.  M.  period. 

The  Stone  Vases 

Of  the  many  objects  found  in  the  Mochlos  cemetery  the  130  stone 
vases  are  probably  the  most  important  as  they  are  certainly  the 
most  beautiful.  The  jewelry,  though  interesting,  is,  on  the  whole, 
of  crude  workmanship,  and  the  same  must  be  said  of  the  pottery. 
The  stone  cutter,  on  the  other  hand,  possessed  a  proficiency  little 
short  of  marvelous  for  so  early  a  period.  His  eye  for  form  was 
excellent,  and  he  was  very  clever  in  selecting  materials  in  which  the 
natural  veining  of  the  stone  helped  to  set  ofif  the  shape  of  the  vase 
for  which  he  intended  it.  At  first  glance  one  would  suppose  that 
these  vases  were  the  work  of  a  skilled  lapidary,  but  on  examination 
it  appears  that  they  were  not  turned  on  a  wheel  but  were  rouglily 
shaped  into  the  required  form  and  then  ground  down  by  hand.' 
How  such  a  task  was  accomplished  is,  in  these  days  of  machinery, 
difficult  to  conceive,  as  each  vase  must  represent  weeks  of  patient 
labor.  To  cut  out  the  inside  core  a  circular  drill  was  used  as  in  the 
later  periods.  The  central  core  which  remained  was  then  broken 
off,  in  some  cases  so  unevenly  that  a  part  of  it  still  adheres  to  the 
bottom  of  the  vase.  The  same  method  was  used  in  the  L.  M.  I 
period.  Tools  of  many  sorts  have  been  found,  but  no  drill  of  any 
kind  has  yet  come  to  light.  This  may  mean  that  the  drill  consisted 
of  nothing  more  substantial  than  a  hollow  reed  whirled  in  sand; 
I  believe  that  drills  of  this  description  were  used  in  Egj'pt  for 
sunilar  purposes.  We  have  no  knowledge  of  the  other  tools  em- 
ployed in  the  manufacture  of  these  stone  vases  but,  as  I  have  said, 
if  we  may  judge  by  one  or  two  partly  finished  examples,  they  were 
roughly  blocked  into  the  required  shape  and  then  polished  by  hand, 
in  all  probability  with  the  stone  polishers  which  turn  up  so  fre- 
quently on  all  these  early  sites.     In  vases  of  soft  materials  this  was 

'  M.  Gilli^ron,  who  made  the  drawings  of  these  vases,  pointed  out  to  me  the  impossibility 
of  their  having  been  turned  on  a  wheel,  owing  to  the  irregularities  of  shape  which  are  especially 
noticeable  in  the  rims  of  the  larger  vessels.  These  irregularities  could  not  possibly  have 
occurred  in  wheel-made  vases. 


100  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

no  very  diflScult  task,  but  many  of  these  vases  were  of  hard  stones 
which  must  have  required  an  enormous  amount  of  labor.  The  con- 
tents of  one  or  two  of  the  large  chamber  tombs  must  represent 
years  of  patient  toil,  and  one  is  not  surprised  to  find  that,  once 
metal  came  into  common  use  for  vessels  and  utensils,  the  age  of 
fine  stone  vases  came  to  an  end.  Rapid  decadence  in  this  branch 
of  Minoan  art  is  noticeable  at  the  beginning  of  the  M.  M.  I  period, 
when  the  craftsmen  turned  to  pottery  and  metal  working,  in  which 
they  could  attain  highly  satisfactory  results  with  much  less  labor. 

The  materials  used  for  these  stone  vases  are  probably  native  to 
Crete  with  one  or  two  possible  exceptions.  The  three  vases  of  white 
alabaster  (Fig.  46,  No.  VII,  a;  PI.  Ill,  No.  XXI,  10,  and  PI.  IX, 
No.  M,  12)  have  a  decidedly  Cycladic  look  and  may  be  importations. 
It  is  not  possible  to  say  whether  all  the  other  stones  employed  for 
these  vases  are  of  local  origin,  but  in  travelling  through  the  island 
I  have  seen  most  of  the  varieties  at  one  time  or  another. 

A  rough  list  of  the  various  materials  employed  for  these  vases  is 
as  follows : 

Steatite 

1.  Translucent  green,  used  only  for  very  small  vases  (PI.  II,  Nos. 
II,  h,  k). 

2.  Opaque  green,  with  no  veining  (PI.  VT,  No.  VI,  10). 

3.  Mottled  green,  capable  of  taking  a  beautiful  polish,  used  only 
for  small  vases  (PI.  II,  Nos.  II,  d,  e;  PI.  V,  No.  VI,  9;  PI.  VII,  No. 
IV,  6). 

4.  Plain  black.  This  is  a  very  common  material  in  the  M.  M. 
and  L.  M.  periods  (Fig.  18.  No.  IV,  1). 

5.  Speckled  grey  and  black,  of  poor  quality.  This  stone  was 
always  in  a  bad  state  of  preservation  (Fig.  28,  No.  XI,  17). 

6.  Dark  grey  (PI.  II,  No.  II,  j;  PI.  IX,  Nos.  XIX,  2  and  XII,  a). 

Breccia 

7.  Dark  grey  limestone  thickly  mottled  with  brown  and  white 
(PI.  Ill,  No.  XXIII,  a). 

8.  Dark  grey  limestone  with  an  occasional  patch  of  rose  colored 
stone  edged  with  white  (PI.  IX,  No.  Ill,  a). 

9.  Same  without  the  white  edge  (PI.  IV,  No.  I,  e). 

10.  Rose  colored  stone  with  patches  of  dark  grey  (PI,  IX,  No. 
M,  15). 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  101 

Marble 

11.  Grey  and  white  in  parallel  veins  (PI.  I,  No.  I,  j;  PI.  Ill,  No. 
II,  q;  PI.  IV,  No.  XIII,  e;  PI.  V,  Nos.  VI,  1,  13;  PI.  VI,  Nos.  VI, 
3,  5,  7,  12,  14;  PI.  VII,  No.  VI,  17). 

12.  Grey  with  white  mottling  (PI.  I,  No.  XVI,  1;  PI.  II,  No.  II, 
a;  PI.  VII,  No.  XXI,  7). 

13.  White  dolomitic  marble  with  irregular  grey  veining  (PI.  II, 
No.  M,  3;  PI.  VII,  No.  VI,  16). 

Alabaster 

14.  Brilliantly  veined  onyx  marble  shading  from  white  to  pink 
and  orange  (PI.  IV,  No.  V,  i;  PI.  V,  No.  VI,  2;  PI.  IX,  No.  M,  13). 

15.  Clear  yellow  gypsum  alabaster  with  white  markings  (PI.  II, 
Nos.  II,  m  and  o). 

16.  Plain  white  (PI.  Ill,  No.  XXI,  10;  PI.  IX,  No.  M,  12). 

Limestone 

17.  Red  and  yellow  stone  in  broad  veins  (PI.  II,  No.  M,  7).  A 
rare  material,  of  which  only  one  example  was  found. 

18.  Purple  or  reddish  stone  without  any  veining,  the  only  example 
of  which  was  too  rotted  to  be  of  any  value. 

19.  Pink  stone  of  which  only  two  examples  were  found,  both  of 
small  size  (Fig.  37,  No.  XV,  d,  and  Fig.  47,  No.  M,  17). 

20.  Coarse  white  limestone  (Fig.  7,  No.  II,  i). 

It  is  clear  that  the  E.  M.  II  age  marked  not  only  the  first  appear- 
ance but  also  the  acme  of  these  stone  vases.  The  two  large  E.  M. 
II  tombs,  Nos.  II  and  VI,  which  were  not  used  in  the  succeeding 
periods,  produced  the  largest  and  finest  examples  found  in  the  entire 
cemetery.  In  the  E.  M.  Ill  period  the  vases,  though  still  good,  are, 
as  a  rule,  of  smaller  size,  and  the  softer  black  steatite  begins  to  be 
used  to  the  exclusion  of  the  harder  materials.  By  the  beginning 
of  the  M.  M.  I  period  the  day  of  the  fine  stone  vases  is  over  and  the 
use  of  black  steatite  is  universal  for  stone  vessels.  The  technique 
becomes  careless  and  the  shapes  are  confined  to  a  few  ordinary  types 
such  as  "blossom"  bowls,  small  cups,  and  shallow  bowls,  which 
last  on  into  the  L.  M.  I  epoch.  It  is  possible  that,  at  Mochlos,  this 
was  due  to  a  decline  in  the  prosperity  of  the  town,  for  we  know  the 


102  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

M.  M.  I  period  to  have  been  a  poor  one,  during  which  the  settlement 
was  destroyed,  not  to  revive  again  until  the  M.  M.  Ill  era.  At 
Gournia,  Pseira  and  Vasiliki,  however,  no  fine  stone  vases  were 
found  in  M.  M.  I  deposits,  so  that,  on  the  whole,  it  seems  plain  that 
this  early  outburst  of  prosperity  on  these  small  sites  was  followed  by 
a  period  of  poverty  and  depression.  It  is  hard  to  account  for  the 
high  standard  reached  by  the  E.  M.  II  craftsmen  of  Mochlos.  At 
Pseira  stone  vases  were  found  in  great  numbers  in  the  early  graves, 
but  few  show  any  signs  of  the  fine  materials  and  workmanship  which 
characterize  the  vases  from  the  Mochlos  cemetery.  It  is  true  that, 
at  Vasiliki,  in  an  E.  M.  II  well,  fragments  of  splendid  stone  vases 
came  to  light,  and  also  that,  in  one  or  two  early  graves  found  at 
Gournia  and  on  the  Messara  sites,  stone  vases  of  a  good  class  were 
found,  though  in  a  smaller  quantity  than  at  Mochlos.'  Time  and 
the  excavation  of  other  cemeteries  can  alone  settle  the  question  as 
to  whether  this  profusion  of  remarkable  stone  vases  was  peculiar 
to  the  single  settlement  of  Mochlos  or  whether  this  technique  spread 
throughout  the  Early  Minoan  towns  of  Crete.  On  the  whole  I 
believe  that  it  will  be  found  to  have  been  common  to  all  the  settle- 
ments of  the  Early  Minoan  period,  varying  according  to  the  various 
degrees  of  prosperity  enjoyed  by  each. 

The  question  how  the  Early  Minoans  obtained  their  extraordinary 
knowledge  of  stone  cutting  must  now  be  considered.  Stone  vases 
or  even  fragments  of  stone  vases  have  never  been  found  thus  far 
in  either  neolithic  or  E.  M.  I  deposits.  Suddenly  and  without 
any  preliminary  steps  we  find  the  Minoans  of  the  E.  M.  II  period 
making  delicate  vases  from  hard  materials.  One  would  naturally 
look  to  E.  M.  I  deposits  for  initial  attempts  at  stone  cutting,  fol- 
lowed by  a  gradual  improvement  in  technique  until  the  perfection 
shown  by  the  Mochlos  vases  was  attained.  As  these  signs  are  not 
forthcoming,  another  explanation  must  be  sought.  Several  vases 
bear  slight  resemblances  to  the  early  stone  vessels  of  Egypt  as  regards 
shape,  but,  on  the  other  hand,  many  of  them  are  absolutely  un-Egyp- 
tian  in  every  respect.  The  question  is,  therefore,  whether  these 
Egyptian  analogies  would  warrant  the  assumption  that  in  the  E.  M. 
II  period  the  Minoans  first  came  in  contact  with  the  Egyptians  and 
from  them  borrowed  the  knowledge  of  the  tools  and  methods  neces- 
sary to  produce  vases  of  this  character.  It  must  be  remembered 
that  these  coast  settlements  were  plainly  those  of  a  maritime  people. 
Pseira,  which  was  already  occupied  in  the  E.  M.  I  period,  is  the  best 

■  Gournia,  p.  56,  Fig.  40,  Nos.  1,  2,  4,  6-11;  Mon.  Ant.,  Vol.  XIV,  1905,  pp.  700-702,  Figs. 
10-12. 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  103 

proof  that  this  was  the  case,  for  who  but  a  nation  of  seafarers  would 
think  of  setthng  on  an  island  three  miles  off  shore,  an  island  solely 
of  value  for  its  little  harbor?  From  Hierapetra  it  is  but  a  short  sail 
across  to  the  Egyptian  coast  and,  when  once  Cape  Sidero  is  rounded, 
the  journey  from  Mochlos  to  Egyptian  ports  is  an  easy  matter  in 
suitable  weather,  and  in  summer  storms  are  of  rare  occurrence.  Even 
if  the  Minoans  never  intentionally  attempted  the  crossing,  what  is 
more  probable  than  that  sometimes  a  boat,  driven  out  of  her  course, 
was  literally  blown  over  to  the  Egyptian  coast  by  a  sudden  storm? 
One  such  accident  would  open  the  eyes  of  the  Minoan  sailors  to  the 
possibilities  of  trade,  and  that  some  sort  of  spasmodic  communica- 
tion had  already  been  established  in  the  E.  M.  II  period  is  higlily 
probable.  That  this  communication,  if  it  did  exist,  was  carried  on 
by  Minoan  sailors  rather  than  by  Egyptians  is  certain,  inasmuch 
as  the  Egyptians  were  not  a  maritime  people.  At  this  earlj' 
period,  moreover,  any  idea  of  people  from  the  Asiatic  coast  act- 
ing as  middlemen  or  traders  between  Crete  and  Egypt  need 
hardly  be  considered.  It  is  doubtful  if  the  Minoans  of  the  Early 
Minoan  age  knew  as  much  of  the  coasts  of  Asia  Minor  and 
Palestine  as  they  did  of  Egypt.  Wliatever  may  have  been  the 
case  later,  there  is  certainly  no  evidence  that  at  this  early  stage, 
trade  passed  to  and  fro  between  Crete  and  Egypt  by  Cyprus  and 
the  round-about  land  route.  It  is  hardly  likely  that  a  preeminently 
seafaring  nation  like  the  Minoans  would,  at  any  time,  have  allowed 
foreigners  to  act  as  intermediaries  in  their  commercial  dealings  with 
other  powers.  Moreover,  there  is  no  other  nation  which  is  known 
to  have  begun  a  seafaring  career  at  so  early  a  period.  Let  us  suppose 
that  occasionally  Minoan  sailors  returned  from  the  Egyptian  coast 
with  tales  of  the  products  that  they  had  seen  among  that  already 
highly  civilized  nation.  Naturally  these  Cretan  adventurers  would 
have  been  struck  by  things  which  they  had  not  seen  at  home,  for 
example,  stone  vases.  Believing  that  these  could  be  made  as  easily  in 
Crete  as  in  Egypt,  their  first  steps  would  have  been  to  inquire  how 
the  vases  were  made,  to  procure  a  few  of  the  necessary  tools  and 
perhaps  some  finished  vases  as  models.  With  the  natural  aptitude 
of  the  Minoan  craftsman,  the  required  technique  was  rapidly  mas- 
tered and  the  stone  cutters  of  Crete  were  soon  turning  out  vases 
which,  if  not  as  accurately  cut  as  their  Egyptian  models,  were  cer- 
tainly far  more  beautiful  in  shape  and  coloring.  At  first  it  is  prob- 
able that  the  shapes  of  the  Egyptian  originals  were  accurately  copied 
by  the  Minoans,  which  might  account  for  the  analogies  that  can  be 
observed  between  the  Cretan  and  the  Egyptian  vases.     Later  this 


104  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

limited  number  of  types  was  increased  by  translating  into  stone  many 
of  the  shapes  characteristic  of  E.  M.  pottery,  some  of  which  proved 
to  be  exceedingly  well  adapted  to  the  new  technique. 

The  following  vases  have  been  pointed  out  to  me  as  those  which 
show  close  analogies  with  Egyptian  stone  vases  of  the  early 
dynasties: 

Plate  II,  No.  M,  3. 

Plate  II,  No.  II,  j. 

Plate  II,  No.  II,  0. 

Plate  III,  No.  XXIII,  a. 

Figure  18,  No.  V,  g. 

Plate  VII,  No.  IV,  6. 

The  Jeweley 

In  all  nearly  150  gold  ornaments  were  found,  not  including  the 
various  kinds  of  gold  beads  which  form  parts  of  several  necklaces. 
Of  these  necklaces  there  are  11,  made  up  of  beads  of  rock  crystal, 
gold,  shell,  carnelian,  amethyst,  steatite,  breccia,  clay  and  procelain. 

Until  the  discovery  of  the  Mochlos  cemetery  it  was  supposed  that, 
in  the  early  Minoan  periods,  civilization  in  Crete  was  primitive,  the 
people  poor,  and  knowledge  of  metals  limited  almost  entirely  to  simple 
tools  and  weapons  of  either  copper  or  bronze.  In  view  of  the  high 
development  shown  by  the  stone  vases  of  this  settlement,  the  pro- 
fusion of  gold  ornaments  found  in  the  Mochlos  graves  is  not  so  sur- 
prising, and  if  so  small  a  settlement  possessed  precious  metal  in  such 
abundance,  what  must  we  imagine  was  the  case  in  the  capital  cities? 
Not  only  were  these  Early  Minoans  far  removed  from  povertj'  but, 
so  far  as  Eastern  Crete  was  concerned,  they  were  in  a  state  of  pros- 
perity not  to  be  equaled  again  until  the  L.  M.  I  period.  In  the  M. 
M.  I  graves  precious  metal  rarely  occurs  and,  as  we  have  seen  was 
the  case  with  the  fine  stone  vases,  the  end  of  the  E.  M.  Ill  age  marks 
a  period  of  decline,  which  lasts  until  near  the  end  of  the  M.  M.  Ill 
epoch. 

The  gold  work  from  the  graves  at  Mochlos  is,  for  the  most  part,  of 
the  simplest  character,  such  as  one  would  expect  at  so  early  a  period. 
It  is  only  in  the  gold  chains  that  we  see  evidences  of  a  delicacy  of 
workmanship  which  makes  it  difficult  to  believe  that  they  are  of  the 
same  date  as  the  rest  of  the  objects.  As  a  whole  this  gold  work 
presents  close  analogies  to  the  jewelry  of  later  date  from  Mycenae. 
In  the  case  of  the  Mochlos  ornaments,  allowances  must  be  made  for 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  105 

the  influence  of  so  early  a  period  on  the  decorative  designs,  which 
are  always  geometrical  in  style.  It  is  in  the  general  character  of  the 
objects  themselves  that  we  see  the  originals  of  the  type  of  jewelry 
in  use  many  centuries  later  on  the  Greek  mainland.  The  profusion 
of  thin  strips  and  plates  for  fastening  to  the  garments  of  the  dead, 
the  diadems,  necklaces,  seals  and  weapons,  all  correspond  to  the  con- 
tents of  the  shaft  graves  of  Mycenae. 

If,  as  seems  probable,  the  mainland  Mycenaeans  were  of  the  same 
stock  as  the  Cretan  Minoans,  these  analogies  are  only  natural  and 
help  to  prove  the  long,  unbroken  continuity  of  the  Minoan  civiliza- 
tion. If  the  people  of  Mycenae  were  not  of  the  old  stock,  it  seems 
unlikely  that  they  would  have  adopted  so  completely  the  burial 
customs  of  a  people  whose  power  they  were  in  the  process  of  over- 
throwing. On  the  other  hand,  if  they  were  a  mainland  branch  of 
the  same  race  that  peopled  Crete,  who,  through  civil  wars,  had 
snatched  the  sceptre  of  Minos  and  transferred  the  seat  of  power 
from  Knossos  to  Mycenae,  they  would  naturally  adhere  in  the  main 
to  the  customs  of  their  Minoan  forebears.  In  the  period  to  which 
the  shaft  graves  belong,  the  Cretan  supremacy  was  already  a  thing 
of  the  past,  but  the  influence  of  the  invading  northener  was  not 
strong  enough  to  have  changed  the  habits  and  customs  of  centuries 
of  unbroken  civilization  in  this  last  stronghold  of  Minoan  power  on 
the  mainland.  Certainly  in  Crete  no  signs  of  an  infusion  of  foreign 
blood,  peaceful  or  otherwise,  can  be  observed  from  neolithic  times 
to  the  decay  of  the  Minoan  supremacy  in  the  L.  M.  II  period,  to 
which  epoch  belongs  the  bulk  of  the  objects  from  the  graves  at 
Mycenae.  Even  then  the  Cretan  towns  seem  to  have  fallen  at  the 
hands  of  members  of  the  same  race,  and  it  is  not  until  the  end  of  the 
L.  M.  Ill  period  that  there  are  any  clear  signs  of  invaders  of 
foreign  blood. 

From  the  point  of  view  of  technique,  the  Mochlos  gold  work  falls 
into  two  classes.  The  first  is  repouss6  work,  in  which  the  pattern 
is  beaten  out  over  a  mould  bearing  the  required  designs.  In  the 
second  class  the  designs  have  been  pricked  through  from  the  back 
with  a  pointed  tool,  thus  forming  a  raised  pattern  of  small  dots  or 
punctuations  on  the  outer  surface.  The  repouss6  work  is,  for  the 
most  part,  confined  to  armlets,  where  the  gold  forms  merely  a  thin 
covering  for  a  core  of  some  perishable  material,  such  as  wooden  rings 
or  leather  bands.  The  second  technique  is  used  for  ornaments  of 
thicker  gold,  which  were  worn  with  no  inner  core  to  support  them. 
The  diadems  belong  to  this  second  class  as  do  the  strips  for  sewing 
to  garments.     Most  of  this  jewelry  was  worn  in  the  lifetime  of  the 


106  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

deceased;  the  objects  were  not  mere  imitations  made  solely  for  burial 
purposes,  as  was  so  often  the  case  with  the  ornaments  from  the  graves 
at  Mycenae.  Although  the  diadems  were  doubtless  made  with  the 
idea  of  tying  the  two  ends  together  at  the  back  of  the  head,  the  owners 
of  Nos.  II,  3,  5,  6  and  10  (Fig.  8)  found  that  to  make  them  more 
secure  it  was  necessary  to  fasten  them  by  means  of  pins  which  were 
jabbed  through  the  thin  gold.  These  pin  holes  are  especially  notice- 
able in  No.  II,  5  (Fig.  9),  one  end  of  which  is  quite  full  of  them. 

The  pins,  Nos.  II,  29,  a,  b  (Fig.  10),  are  all  made  from  one  piece  of 
metal, — petals,  stamens  and  stem.  A  narrow  sheet  of  thin  gold  was 
cut  into  the  required  shape,  beginning  with  the  stamens  and  ending 
with  the  petals,  to  which  a  long  strip  of  thin  metal  was  left  attached 
to  form  the  stem  of  the  pin.  This  sheet  was  then  rolled  up  with  the 
stamens  inside  and  the  flower  was  complete. 

Large  gold  beads  are  usually  of  very  thin  metal  and  must  for- 
merly have  covered  a  core  of  some  perishable  material  (Fig.  25, 
No.  \T!,  27,  the  three  centre  beads). 

As  has  been  said,  the  only  objects  which  show  any  signs  of  very 
skilful  workmanship  are  the  gold  chains  (Fig.  11,  Nos.  II,  30,  35, 
36;  Fig.  25,  Nos.  VI,  31  a,  b;  Fig.  43,  Nos.  XIX,  20,  22).  These 
chains  in  point  of  delicacy  bear  comparison  with  those  of  the  late 
Greek  period  and  prove  that,  when  necessary,  the  Early  IVIinoan 
goldsmith  could  turn  out  work  of  real  merit.  Some  of  the  beads 
from  the  Mochlos  graves  present  analogies  to  Egyptian  examples 
and  are  interesting  in  view  of  the  theory  of  early  communication 
between  Crete  and  Egypt  which  has  already  been  discussed  in  con- 
nection with  the  stone  vases.  The  long  gold  necklace.  No.  XXI,  19 
(Fig.  20),  certainly  recalls  the  common  "mummy"  beads  of  Egyp- 
tian porcelain,  and  the  same  may  be  said  of  the  necklace  in  Figure  25 
(No.  VI,  35).  It  has  been  pointed  out  to  me  that  certain  carnelian 
beads  in  Figure  41  (No.  XIX,  14)  are  Egyptian  in  style.  As  they  are 
clearly  of  local  manufacture,  they  must  not  be  regarded  as  Egyptian 
importations  but  may  show  that  certain  types  of  beads  became  known 
to  the  Minoans  through  trade  with  the  people  of  the  Nile  valley. 

Objects  of  Copper  and  Bronze 

The  Mochlos  tombs  produced  about  20  knife  blades,  3  spearheads, 
a  number  of  pairs  of  pincers  and  some  small  cutters,  the  use  of  which 
is  uncertain.  The  knife  blades  from  the  earliest  tombs  are  all  of 
the  short  triangular  type  shown  in  Figure  44  (Nos.  I,  k,  and  XXI, 
21,  22).'     Ejiife  blades  of  this  sort  were  common  on  all  the  Messara 

'  Mosso  in  his  Dawn  of  the  Mediterranean  Civilization,  pp.  105-1 10,  stated  that  he  believed 
the  Early  Minoan  period  in  Crete  belonged  to  the  Copper  Age.     His  analyses  of  a  number  of 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  107 

sites  of  the  Early  Minoan  period;  the  first  were  found  at  Hagia 
Triada.'  In  the  M.  M.  I  period  the  type  is  considerably  longer  and 
has  lost  the  triangular  outline  of  the  preceding  period  (Fig.  45,  Nos. 
XI,  22,  XIII,  m,  and  III,  o).  In  the  M.  M.  Ill  age  the  shape  is 
much  the  same,  but  the  midrib  becomes  more  marked  and  there  is 
some  attempt  at  decoration  (Figs.  31  and  45,  No.  II,  51).  In  this 
period  a  broad,  heavy  type  of  knife  appears,  which  is  also  common 
in  L.  M.  I  deposits  (Fig.  45,  Nos.  II,  52,  IV,  17  and  XX,  9). 

Most  of  the  objects  in  Figure  12  came  from  undisturbed  E.  M.  II 
chamber  tombs  and  therefore  belong  to  that  period.  The  two 
large  knife  blades,  Nos.  II,  44  and  45,  are  very  fine  examples  of  their 
kind.  No.  II,  45  is  of  unusual  shape;  the  common  type  has  a  straight 
or  slightly  concave  edge  at  the  point  of  attachment  to  the  hilt  instead 
of  this  scalloped  outline.  There  is  no  rule  as  to  the  number  of  rivet 
holes;  some  blades  have  only  two,  others  as  many  as  five.  Unlike 
the  rivets  of  the  M.  M.  Ill  and  L.  M.  I  blades,  the  rivets  in  these 
E.  M.  examples  are  all  of  very  small  size. 

The  votive  axe  (Fig.  12,  No.  II,  46)  was  found  at  the  bottom  of 
Tomb  II  in  an  undoubted  E.  M.  II  deposit,  although  it  is  difficult 
to  believe  that  it  is  really  of  so  early  a  date.  Hitherto  no  double  axe 
used  either  as  a  votive  offering  or  as  a  religious  symbol  has  occurred 
before  the  M.  M.  Ill  period,  but,  in  view  of  two  similar  axes  of  lead 
from  the  same  tomb,  the  curious  horn-like  object  (Fig.  48,  No.  31), 
and  the  M.  M.  I  clay  bull  (Fig.  29),  it  would  appear  that  the  cult  of 
the  double  axe  with  its  attributes  was  introduced  into  Crete  in  the 
earliest  times  and  followed  the  development  of  Minoan  culture 
through  its  various  transitions. 

Pincers  like  Figure  12,  No.  XIX,  28,  and  Figure  44,  No.  XIX, 
25,  a  and  b,  were  very  common,  and  at  least  one  pair  was  found  in 
many  of  the  tombs.  Most  of  these  pincers  consist  of  two  separate 
blades  riveted  to  a  handle  of  perishable  material. 

The  small  cutters  (Fig.  44,  Nos.  XXI,  20,  and  XIX,  29,  30,  32) 
were  usually  fastened  by  means  of  rivets  to  vertical  liandles  of  wood 
or  bone.^     The  cutters  were  even  more  numerous  than  the  pincers. 

Early  Minoan  weapons  from  various  Cretan  sites  show  that  they  contain  almost  no  tin.  It 
looks  very  much  as  if  his  conclusions  were  correct,  but  more  such  analyses  must  be  made 
before  a  Cretan  Copper  .^ge  can  be  definitely  accepted. 

>  Mon.  Ant.,  Vol.  XXI,  PI.  X,  Fig.  ii. 

•  Mosso,  Dawn  Med.  Civ.,  pp.  135,  l.S(i,  calls  these  objects  votive  axes,  but  this  seems  to 
me  more  than  doubtful.  In  several  of  the  Mochlos  cxiiniples  the  remains  of  the  handle  show 
that  it  was  straight  and  attached  vertically  to  the  blade.  If,  as  Mosso  thinks,  theae  objects 
were  axe  heads,  the  handle  must  have  formed  a  right  angle  with  the  blade.  I  have  seen  one 
of  these  cutters  from  Octe,  now  in  a  private  collection,  which  has  the  blade  and  handle  all  in 
one  piece  of  metal.  In  this  example  the  handle  forms  a  straight  line  with  the  length  of  the 
blade  and  the  whole  bears  no  resemblance  whatever  to  a  votive  axe. 


108  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

They  vary  greatly  in  size;  one.  No.  XXI,  20  (Fig.  44),  is  nearly  as 
large  as  some  of  the  knife  blades.  Similar  cutters  were  found  in  the 
Cycladic  cist  graves  of  Amorgos  '  and  at  Gournia.'  Knife  blades  of 
M.  M.  I  type  similar  to  those  shown  in  Figure  45,  Nos.  Ill,  o,  XI, 
22,  and  XIII,  m,  were  found  at  Amorgos  '  and  at  Gournia.^  The 
spearheads  (Fig.  45,  Nos.  XX,  10,  11,  12)  are  probably  of  M.  M. 
Ill  date,  as  no  earlier  examples  are  yet  known. 

Seal  Stones 

Although  many  seals  were  found  on  the  tomb  slope,  they  were,  as 
a  rule,  of  poor  quality  and  late  date.  Most  of  them  were  found 
either  with  M.  M.  Ill  or  L.  M.  I  burials  or  in  the  loose  soil  outside 
the  graves.  A  few  can  be  assigned  with  some  certainty  to  given 
periods. 

The  earliest  seals  were,  with  two  exceptions,  of  ivory  and  came, 
like  those  of  Hagia  Triada,*  from  E.  M.  II  chamber  tombs.  The 
best  is  the  one  shown  in  Figure  24.  It  is  a  large  cylinder  of  ivory 
pierced  vertically  with  four  small  holes  and  horizontally  with  three. 
The  design  on  one  end,  a,  is  well  preserved  and  presents  a  laby- 
rinthine pattern  of  peculiar  appearance.  The  reverse,  b,  is  badly 
eaten  away,  but  the  conventionalized  design  of  scrolls  can  still  be 
distinguished. 

The  next  large  ivory  seal  is  that  shown  in  Figure  12,  No.  II,  41. 
It  came  from  Tomb  II,  together  with  a  great  mass  of  gold  orna- 
ments. Tliis  cylinder  is  pierced  through  the  side  and  is  engraved 
on  one  end  with  a  conventionalized  lotus  design  of  very  Egyptian 
character. 

Figure  11,  No.  II,  42,  is  another  ivory  seal  from  the  same  deposit. 
Its  design,  like  the  preceding  one,  shows  marked  Egyptian  charac- 
teristics. In  shape  this  seal  is  the  evident  prototype  of  certain  M. 
M.  Ill  signet  seals  like  that  of  Figure  14.  The  late  Sig.  Mosso  sug- 
gested that  these  ivories  are  not  seals  at  all  but  pintaderas.^  Pinta- 
deras,  which  are  found  in  various  parts  of  Europe,  differ  from  seals 
in  that  they  were  used  to  stamp  designs  in  color  on  flat  surfaces  and 
not  to  make  impressions  in  relief  in  wax  or  clay.  That  these  Early 
Minoan  ivory  objects  are  pintaderas  is  far  from  proved.  I  know  of 
none  which  bears  the  slightest  traces  of  coloring  matter  in  the  inter- 
stices of  the  carving,  but  some  such  traces  would  surely  remain  if 
the  ivories  had  been  stamped  in  colored  pigments.    Seals  figure  so 

'  'E<p.  "Afiy-i  1S98,  PI.  12,  No.  7.  « Gournia,  PI.  IV,  Nos.  48-30. 

•  "E(f.  ^Af)-}.,  1898,  PI.  12,  Nos.  6,  8.  •  Gournia,  PI.  IV,  Nos.  51-53. 

1  Mon.  Ant.,  Vol.  XXI,  PI.  X,  Figs.  25,  26.     •  Davm  Med.  Civ.,  p.  256. 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  109 

largely  in  lists  of  small  objects  from  Minoan  sites  that  the  custom  of 
using  them  probably  dated  from  very  early  times,  whereas  pintaderas, 
if  we  except  these  possible  early  Minoan  examples,  are  unknown  in 
the  succeeding  Minoan  periods.  Pintaderas  were  employed  princi- 
pally in  stamping  designs  on  the  human  body,  a  species  of  temporary 
tatooing.  From  what  we  know  of  the  Minoans  as  shown  in  the 
frescoes  from  Minoan  palaces,  there  is  no  evidence  that  this  custom 
of  stamping  the  body  with  colored  patterns  existed  in  Crete,  and 
as  Sig.  Mosso  himself  admitted,  the  whole  theory  rests  on  very  slight 
evidence  furnished  by  the  Greek  mainland  and  on  the  existence  of 
such  a  custom  in  various  parts  of  Europe. 

Two  more  early  seals  were  found  on  the  main  slope.  Figure  39 
came  from  a  mixed  burial  deposit  of  E.  M.  II  and  E.  M.  Ill  date. 
Like  the  ivory  seals,  it  is  pierced  through  the  side  and  bears  an  en- 
graved design  on  each  end.  Of  one  end  a  small  fragment  only  is 
preserved,  showing  a  geometrical  pattern  of  triangles.  The  other 
end  bears  the  design  shown  in  Figure  39,  b,  representing  a  curious 
seated  figure,  probably  a  female  divinity  if  we  may  judge  by  the 
ample  form.  Both  hands  are  raised  in  the  manner  of  the  porcelain 
votary  from  Knossos '  and  the  clay  goddesses  from  Gournia '  and 
Prinia.  Behind  the  throne  or  chair  is  a  curious  object,  perhaps  a 
sacred  tree,  and  in  front  of  the  figure  are  traces  of  something  else, 
possibly  a  kneeling  figure  of  which  we  see  only  the  outstretched  arms. 
Behind  the  head  a  cross  appears  in  the  field,  similar  to  one  shown  in 
Figure  14,  under  the  horn-like  object.  The  only  other  seal  of  the 
Early  Minoan  period  came  from  near  the  large  chamber  tomb.  No. 
II,  and  was  associated  with  E.  M.  I  and  E.  M.  II  potsherds.  It  is 
a  cylinder  of  white  limestone  pierced  in  the  usual  manner  through 
the  side  (Fig.  54).  One  end  is  quite  plain;  the  other  bears  the 
cross  and  irregularly  placed  dots  shown  in  the  drawing. 

The  Early  Minoan  seals  from  other  parts  of  Crete  are  all  similar 
both  in  materials  and  workmanship  to  those   just  described.     A 

great  many  have  been  found  in 
the  Messara  both  by  Dr.  Xan- 
thoudides  and  by  the  Italian 
expedition;  but  Mochlos  is  the 
first  site  in  Eastern  Crete  on 
which  they  have  occurred.  They 
FioHRE  54.    SCM.E  1 : 1  ^^^_  j^j.  ^j^jg  ^^^^^^^  important. 

inasmuch  as  they  help  to  prove  the  widespread  uniformity  of  this 

'  B.  S.  A..  Vol.  IX,  p.  77,  Fig.  56,  a.  b.  '  Gournia,  PI.  XI,  No.  I. 


110  EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS 

early  culture.  Of  M.  M.  I  date  there  is  only  the  three-sided  seal 
shown  in  Figure  27,  No.  X,  a. 

The  M.  M.  Ill  deposits  in  the  upper  part  of  two  of  the  large  cham- 
ber tombs  produced  several  interesting  gems.  The  best  is  the 
signet  seal  of  chalcedony  found  in  Tomb  III  (Fig.  14).  This 
shape,  as  I  have  said,  is  derived  from  certain  ivory  seals  of  E.  M.  II 
date.  In  point  of  workmanship  it  surpasses  any  found  in  the  ceme- 
tery. The  field  is  divided  horizontally  into  three  parts  or  panels. 
The  middle  one  bears  an  inscription  of  the  pictographic  class.  The 
border  above  and  below  this  panel  is  filled  by  a  design  of  spirals  and 
barred  stopgaps  which  recall  favorite  designs  on  the  painted  pottery 
and  jewelry  of  the  L.  M.  Ill  period. ^ 

Another  gem  of  similar  date  is  shown  in  Figure  6,  No.  I,  s.  This 
is  also  of  chalcedony;  it  bears  a  marine  design  of  an  octopus, 
two  fish  and  a  sea-urchin.  The  fish  and  the  sea-urchin  occur  on  a 
similar  gem  from  Palaikastro.  These  gems  are  among  the  earliest 
examples  of  the  use  of  marine  subjects  for  decorative  purposes;  such 
designs  occur  frequently  in  L.  M.  I  and  L.  M.  II  painted  pottery. 

Figure  27,  No.  X,  b,  is  a  signet  of  the  same  type  as  that  of  Figure 
14.  It  is  evident  that  here  we  have  to  do  with  a  Minoan  demon  of 
very  lively  character.  Indeed,  anything  more  rollicking  than  the 
expression  and  attitude  of  this  creature  can  hardly  be  imagined,  and 
on  the  whole  it  bears  a  close  resemblance  to  a  child's  Jack-in-the-Box. 
The  head  is  surmounted  by  horn-like  objects  so  that  it  might  well 
pass  for  a  Minoan  imp. 

The  silver  signet  of  Figure  35  belongs  to  this  M.  M.  Ill  class  of 
seals  and  is  chiefly  remarkable  for  its  fine  state  of  preservation  in  a 
cemetery  where  silver  has  suflfered  so  severely  from  the  action  of  the 
soil. 

Figure  30,  No.  XII,  i,  is  also  of  M.  M.  Ill  date.  It  belongs  to  the 
earher  three-sided  type;  but  in  this  case  only  two  of  its  three  faces 
are  engraved.  The  material  is  red  carnelian,  but  the  workmanship 
is  coarse  in  comparison  with  that  of  the  seals  just  described. 

Figure  38,  No.  X\l,  12,  is  probably  of  M.  M.  I  date;  but  as  this 
tomb  deposit  contained  objects  of  the  E.  M.  11  and  III  and  M. 
M.  I  periods,  nothing  can  be  said  with  certainty. 

The  remaining  gems  are  all  of  poor  workmanship  and  must  belong 
to  the  period  of  L.  M.  I  child  burials.     They  were  found  scattered 

•  I  am  indebted  to  Dr.  Evans  for  an  interpretation  of  the  symbols  which  fill  the  panel.  The 
cross  mider  the  homed  objects  marks  the  beginning  of  the  sentence,  which  should  be  read  from 
left  to  right.  The  first  symbol  is  the  type  of  homed  altar  which  so  often  figures  in  cult  scenes. 
This  is  followed  by  a  full-rigged  ship  carrying  one  bank  of  oars.  The  third  and  last  sign  is 
evjdenUy  the  "trowel,"  although  part  of  it  has  been  broken  away. 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  MOCHLOS  111 

about  on  various  parts  of  the  slope,  which  makes  it  probable  that 
they  came  from  the  broken  jars  of  that  date  which  have  been  already 
mentioned. 

The  silver  cylinder  of  Figure  36,  No.  I,  n,  is  probably  of  Babylonian 
origin.  It  was  found  in  Tomb  I,  associated  with  E.  M.  II  objects, 
and  must,  therefore,  belong  to  one  of  the  burials  of  that  period.  The 
metal  is  badly  corroded  and,  although  traces  of  engraving  can  be 
made  out,  not  enough  remains  to  allow  one  to  assign  it  to  any  fixed 
period.'  This  cylinder  is  one  of  the  few  objects  of  possibly  foreign 
origin  which  occurred  in  the  Mochlos  cemetery.  How  it  reached 
Crete  is  not  easy  to  say,  but  no  doubt  through  the  hands  of  native 
traders.  If  we  accept  the  theory  that  the  Minoans  of  this  period 
had  already  established  intercourse  with  Egypt,  it  is  probable  that 
this  cylinder  arrived  in  Crete  through  Egyptian  channels.  It  is 
also  possible  that  it  came  by  way  of  Cyprus,  though  there  is  no  evi- 
dence of  communication  between  the  two  islands  at  so  early  a  date. 
The  presence  of  one  such  seal  cannot  be  used  to  prove  any  direct 
intercourse  with  Babylonia  and  the  East.  If  such  intercourse  had 
existed,  Babylonian  art  must  have  exercised  some  influence  on  the 
development  of  Early  Minoan  culture;  as  a  matter  of  fact  such 
influence  is  notably  absent,  and  all  signs  point  not  to  the  East  but 
rather  to  Egypt  as  the  power  with  which  the  Minoans  first  came  in 
contact.^ 

>  I  am  told  that  the  large  opening  is  a  good  indication  of  its  early  date. 

•  It  has  been  suggested  to  me  that  this  cylinder  may  be  of  Cretan  manufacture,  although  this 
does  not  seem  likely.  Cylinder  seals  were  made  in  Crete  in  the  Middle  Minoan  age,  but  so 
far  as  we  know  they  did  not  appear  as  early  as  the  E.  M.  II  period,  to  which  this  example 
apparently  belongs.  The  faint  traces  of  Ggures  which  can  be  seen  on  the  cylinder  look  more 
Asiatic  than  Minoan. 


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AMERICAN    SCHOOL    OF    CLASSICAL    STUDIES 

AT    ATHENS 

EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ISLAND   OF  MOCHLOS 
By  Richard  B.  Seager 

1 1 1  pages,  with  1 1  colored  plates,  32  illustrations  in  half-tone,  and  22  illustrations  in  zinc  etching 


This  book  is  a  report  of  the  excavations  at  Mochlos,  an  island  off 
the  coast  of  Crete,  which  were  conducted  by  Mr.  Seager  in  the  spring 
and  summer  of  1908,  under  a  concession  obtained  by  the  American 
School  of  Classical  Studies  at  Athens.  These  explorations,  which  are 
among  the  most  important  recently  undertaken  in  Crete,  brought  to 
light  an  extensive  cemetery  of  the  Early  Minoan  period,  in  which  the 
tombs,  although  they  had  been  plundered  and  used  again  in  later  times,  still 
contained  many  of  the  objects  that  had  been  deposited  with  the  original 
interments.  These  relics  of  early  Cretan  culture  proved  a  complete  sur- 
prise to  students  of  the  earliest  civilization  in  Greek  lands,  for  they 
showed  that  the  art  of  the  Early  Minoan  period  was  by  no  means  so 
primitive  as  had  previously  been  supposed.  Especially  in  the  making  of 
stone  vases  the  artists  of  this  time  displayed  a  skill  that  was  hardly  sur- 
passed at  any  later  period.  Many  interesting  examples  of  goldsmith's 
work  also  were  recovered,  as  well  as  pottery,  seal  stones,  and  weapons 
and  implements  of  copper  and  bronze. 


All  the  objects  from  the  cemetery  are  fully  described  and  illustrated 
in  Mr.  Seager's  report,  which  presents  a  more  complete  picture  of  the 
civilization  of  Crete  in  the  Early  Minoan  Age  than  has  hitherto  been 
available. 

It  is  expected  that  the  book  will  be  ready  for  delivery  in  January. 
The  price  will  be  $5.00  to  subscribers  whose  remittances  are  received  on 
or  before  February  15,  1912.  After  that  the  price  will  be  fG.OO.  Sub- 
scriptions, accompanied  by  check,  draft,  or  money  order,  should  be  sent 
to  Professor  George  H.  Chase,  11  Kirkland  Road,  Cambridge,  Mass. 

A  sample  page,  a  sample  plate,  and  a  blank  order  are  enclosed. 


George  H.  Chase 
James  R.  Wheeler 
Harold  N.  Fowler 


Publication  Committee. 


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